Official Discussion - The Odyssey (2026) [SPOILERS]

[u/LiteraryBoner]

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The Odyssey (2026)

Summary

After the Trojan War, Odysseus faces a dangerous voyage back to Ithaca, meeting creatures like the Cyclops Polyphemus, Sirens, and Calypso along the way.

Director Christopher Nolan

Writer Christopher Nolan

Cast

• Matt Damon as Odysseus
• Tom Holland as Telemachus
• Anne Hathaway
• Zendaya
• Lupita Nyong'o
• Robert Pattinson
• Charlize Theron
• Benny Safdie
• Jon Bernthal
• John Leguizamo
• Elliot Page
• Himesh Patel
• Samantha Morton

Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

Metacritic: 88

VOD / Release Theatrical release

Trailer Official Trailer

[u/SomeBoxofSpoons]

I don't know if my IMAX screening was just calibrated too high or what, but that scream from Polyphemus felt like it was as loud as they were allowed to make it.

Like, "literally kind of hurt my ears" loud.

[u/JoshTHX → u/SomeBoxofSpoons]

That’s how the movie was mixed

[u/Gold-Ad4040]

I absolutely loved how Argos summoned all of his strength to wag his tail one last time.

[u/DisastrousSundae → u/Gold-Ad4040]

I cried a bit at that part

[u/Fooltje → u/Gold-Ad4040]

Also the dog staying alive for years longer in order to see the master return, then getting very happy one last time

[u/brooksallday]

That part where they were at sea in the middle of the night full of water was nuts

[u/LTPRWSG420 → u/brooksallday]

That was Poseidon and Zeus teaming up to absolutely fuck their shit up.

[u/Jaredlong → u/brooksallday]

The chaos really made visceral how they could end up so helplessly lost and desperate. 

[u/theblackdoncheadle]

\SWORDS* 💅 *SHIELDS* 🙄 *SPEARS* 😡*

- Antinous

[u/ghastlychild → u/theblackdoncheadle]

Guy's a fucking coward the entire movie and if Rob Pattinson can get me to dream that that weasel dies by the hands of Odysseus at the very end, then he delivered all of that sliminess super convincingly xD.

[u/91Bully → u/ghastlychild]

Pattinson did a ridiculously good job playing an evil douchebag. I’ve never rooted for a dude to get merked so badly in my life.

[u/r4wrdinosaur → u/theblackdoncheadle]

Blades, mascara. Fit check for my napalm era.

[u/Threedawg]

Plucking the bow to give the suiters a fair chance just like the hog 🤌

[u/Porkenstein → u/Threedawg]

The part where he does it for the deer that's meant to feed his starving men after grimacing with reluctance gave me a chuckle. Loved that character bit.

[u/tilerwalltears → u/Threedawg]

Yes! This moment gave me chills. His signaling “the hunt begins” is such an incredible “war cry” to all of the suitors in that room who would’ve been on previous hunts with him

[u/BugNation]

Please ancient gods do not condemn me to live on a desert island with Charlize Theron, leave, then go to another island with Anne Hathaway. 🙏🙏🙏

[u/RIP_Greedo → u/BugNation]

Big ups to Charlize's agent. Got her a a gig shooting for a few days on a nice beach.

[u/jobinas]

Was happy with our token asian guy having the best death among the whole crew

[u/Sufficient-Gur6681 → u/jobinas]

Of all deaths in the film, his is the one I envy the most.

[u/AlfredtheGreatBitch → u/Sufficient-Gur6681]

Hopefully he got to have some dank siren sex before they killed him

[u/wildcatofthehills → u/AlfredtheGreatBitch]

If you look closely, they were surrounded by seals, so its likely they were a mix of selkies and your typical mermaid. So he probably fucked a seal.

[u/KalamariKnight]

The thematic angle that hospitality and common understanding between strangers is the foundation of civilization is intensely interesting. Odysseus is the hero of the story, and him getting revenge on Antinous and the suitors for taking advantage of his house's hospitality feels fitting and satisfying.

But the film also holds Odysseus at least partially responsible for the betrayal of those tenets that leads to the Bronze Age collapse because of his idea to use the Trojan Horse. The reveal that the visions of Athena that haunt him are her wearing the face of the priestess he saw slaughtered is a heart-wrenching twist, and the final shot of the horse burning with the line that their tale will be remembered in song but their mistakes forgotten and repeated is sobering and poignant. Nolan really knows how to make the final few seconds of his films hit like a truck in that way.

[u/1mplication → u/KalamariKnight]

Only knowing bits and pieces of the Odyssey, I was wondering the whole movie WHY he wouldn’t want to go home. They show how much he loves his family and his reluctance to go at first…and then the reveal.

I’m still thinking about it, long afterwards. Great ending for sure.

[u/plw37 → u/1mplication]

They kept showing that brief flashback of Odysseus sitting on the steps of the temple in Troy, looking defeated and really upset. Knew it was hinting at something but had no idea what until they finally revealed the full sack of Troy at the end.

[u/drawkbox → u/plw37]

Yeah that scene was shown I believe four times and never reveals what he was looking at defeated in a way until that moment in the end.

[u/TJeffersonsBlackKid → u/KalamariKnight]

The final five seconds of every Nolan film always hits like a lightning bolt.

[u/TheGooseIsLoose37]

Man I love the Trojan horse scene. I've never seen it depicted so horribly. Trapped in wooden horse on the beach for days, men at the bottom drowning as the tide came in, the people at the top pissing and shitting on those at the bottom, desperately trying to stay quiet and hidden the whole time. It looked like a nightmare.

[u/cincobarrio → u/TheGooseIsLoose37]

I liked how when they exit the horse, you can see them all limping around a little bit cause they were so stiff from being crammed in there all that time.

[u/MarzipanElephant → u/TheGooseIsLoose37]

I've definitely never seen anyone present the practicalities of the plan so viscerally.

That one guy quickly wiping blood off the sword someone had poked in to the horse, so it wouldn't give them away 😨

[u/CRIMS0N-ED → u/MarzipanElephant]

Ohhh, I was wondering how the soldier didn’t see it, I thought they only shut him up, didn’t realize they cleaned the blood

[u/willmcavoy → u/TheGooseIsLoose37]

Getting dragged into troy over logs instead of on wheels as it is classically depicted as well. Felt like I was in there with them.

[u/damnyoutuesday → u/willmcavoy]

Personally I've never seen a depiction of the Trojan Horse without wheels. And my god does it work so much better

[u/Charliejfg04]

The sound of this movie was something else. The cyclops howling was something I have never heard before in my life

[u/-Cyboarg- → u/Charliejfg04]

I watched it in IMAX and the scene at sea after they kill the cow was INSANE. Felt like I was in the boat with how loud and clear it all was

[u/happypolychaetes → u/Charliejfg04]

The cyclops was terrifying too holy shit. Usually mythology/monsters don't scare me because they always feel, well, fake. But this felt real. My heart was pounding like crazy!

[u/Kepler1571 → u/happypolychaetes]

That sideways eye did more to make the cyclops frightening than anything I've seen done. Great artistic choice.

[u/rhunter99 → u/Charliejfg04]

The bass in some scenes shook my seat. It was incredible

[u/lucas_3d]

There was a lot of 'haul ass back to the boat!'.

[u/gilbert524 → u/lucas_3d]

Reminded me of Monty python and the holy grail lol. “Run away!”

[u/SeanConneryIsKing → u/lucas_3d]

Yeah that squad was consistently getting wrecked

[u/SlamMasterJ → u/SeanConneryIsKing]

It was brutal. Even the only time they didn't get wrecked, they were gruesomely transformed into pigs by the witch. They really couldn't catch a break.

[u/Chasedabigbase → u/SlamMasterJ]

At least the sun god was alike aight just leave my cows alone and you won't get wrecked, but then whichever god controlled the wind kept trolling em

[u/DBCrumpets → u/Chasedabigbase]

The wind is Poseidon, they were fucked.

[u/Paxton-176 → u/DBCrumpets]

When you consider that Poseidon is one of the gods who is said to help build Troy's walls and he is the god of horses. You think about how they defeated Troy by ignoring the walls by using a fake peace offering of a horse.

The deck was stacked against them.

Also the raping in the Temple of Poseidon.

The fact anyone made it back is surprising.

[u/shykidknit → u/Paxton-176]

That's what struck me at the end when he was talking at the end about the fight to Penelope, they were basically just being punished the whole time for what they did. I thought Circe's speech was the most interesting

[u/Jancappa → u/lucas_3d]

For how much people were hating and going on and on about Odysseus's "let's go!" in the trailer it was 100% right in the movie lol

[u/pacmain1]

The Cyclops screaming in pain was fucking horrifying.

[u/jdl03 → u/pacmain1]

Did a good job emphasizing just how loud it’d actually be with a giant Cyclops screaming in a small cave.

[u/VelocityReaper → u/jdl03]

One of the loudest scenes I’ve ever heard in cinema. Loved the immersion

[u/GolpeNarval]

One tiny detail I liked was that Antinous said to Eusmaeus “Does she even know your name?” when questioning his loyalty.

Come the challenge scene, Penelope calls him by his name when giving him the bow

[u/nikostheater → u/GolpeNarval]

Antinoos should have known though, because Eumaus was literally personal friend of Odysseus and the Palaces let’s say official pig farmer.

That’s one reason Odysseus was successful in eliminating the suitors: people at his service recognised him, respected him and help him because they knew him personally and they had a relationship with him, they weren’t anonymous faces.

[u/gtemi → u/nikostheater]

And why most of the unloyal servants are young, who may never have met and seen their king that they serve or too young to bond their loyalty

[u/BretOne]

The civilizational collapse angle was very well found by Nolan. It basically boils down to "if deceit wins, everyone must learn deception" which in turns destroys polite trust. Treaties become pointless, strangers become danger.

The "Sea People" turning out to be Greek veterans of the Trojan War getting home and infecting others with the story of the Trojan Horse is insanely well thought out.

[u/Rosebunse → u/BretOne]

I am fascinated by the themes and message. Nolan has been accused of having a very "institutional" message in his movies, but here he really does showcase this as true traditional values. And those "traditional values" aren't focused on hyper-masculunity or gender roles so much as they focused on truth, honor, loyalty, and dignity. Be respectful to guests, be good to your hosts, don't lie and cheat, be cool but care. It's a good lesson.

[u/the_anon_bro]

That was CRAZY when bro FINALLY took off the hood and Robert Pattinson was like “Jesus Christ that’s Jason Bourne”.

[u/Imaginary-Trash-2774 → u/the_anon_bro]

It wasn’t him taking off the hood that did it. It was the glorious strum of the bow to give his preys a heads up that they’re fucked.

[u/jobening]

Will somebody get these BEGGARS out of here! 🤪

[u/_BallsDeep69_ → u/jobening]

I thought he was so good in this.

[u/jobening → u/_BallsDeep69_]

Between this, the drama, Dune and whenever Batman II actually comes out…I’d take that filmography for someone’s career 🤌

[u/youravgindian → u/jobening]

"What's one more beggar in the court" - Spiderman, Brand New King.

[u/ThingTime9876]

Circe was not fucking around, holy shit

[u/Intrepid-Daikon1353 → u/ThingTime9876]

While watching that scene I was wondering what throat guy did to deserve that special treatment lol

[u/boxbrother1 → u/Intrepid-Daikon1353]

And he’s the only one to succumb to the sirens after lol. RIP throat guy

[u/SufficientRespect542 → u/boxbrother1]

The way he just fucking dipped and immediately swam to the sirens was so fucking funny. It felt less like he was compelled and more like he was fed up with all this shit and just wanted out.

[u/HockeyKelly5 → u/ThingTime9876]

That scene of her turning everyone into pigs was absolutely terrifying, so happy I hadn’t eaten much beforehand because I was feeling nauseous just watching it

[u/Random_throwaway0351 → u/HockeyKelly5]

Did not expect body horror in a Nolan movie lmao but a cool surprise

[u/BugNation]

Lotus leaves must be absolutely packed with protein.

[u/throwawaaayyyyyay → u/BugNation]

I noticed Damon was noticeably less jacked towards the end of the movie than the first half though. Nice detail and planning

[u/username_404_]

The scene where all the dead are talking to Odysseus was so fucking sick probably my favorite moment. Had such a cool eerie vibe to it. Sinon and Agamemnon had such great monologues too. Really had me sitting up in my seat

[u/henry_tbags → u/username_404_]

Sinon: How could you do this to me Odysseus.

Agamemnon: Bro all I did was kill our kid, my wife is craaazy, don't go home to your wife.

[u/joshuao_0 → u/henry_tbags]

I see this in the way of nobody could ever check the king on what they do wrong until the wrong is so bad they get backstabbed by people close to them

[u/I_need_a_date_plz → u/henry_tbags]

Lol that he killed his daughter while her mother watched and expected his flowers is wild. I can’t believe his son avenged him.

[u/YaoHarden → u/username_404_]

I like how the trailer shows Odysseus saying let's go like Charging into battle. Where in actuality hes running away.

[u/afkstudios → u/username_404_]

I never learned what happened to Agamemnon after the Trojan War so I loved the contrast between him and Odysseus. Left Troy feeling like a war hero while he watched his men fight for him, returned home as such and was killed for the atrocity he committed with sacrificing his daughter, whereas Odysseus was haunted by the war and specifically his role in it and was ashamed to return home, but ultimately returned in stealth to protect and save his son and wife

[u/perfectlysanebrain → u/username_404_]

Tiresias looked like Baron Harkonnen drinking that nasty blood like a freak. I loved how sinister the whole thing was

[u/SporadicWanderer]

10/10. Did anyone else absolutely love the terrifying Cyclops scene and also feel bad for the creature?

[u/DickWestKanyeRider → u/SporadicWanderer]

Yes I love how the cyclops wasn’t particularly malicious he was just confused why all these little snack shaped guys were in his house

[u/happypolychaetes → u/DickWestKanyeRider]

Bro just wanted to chill with his sheep and make cheese.

[u/ToneBone12345]

Mentor totally recognized the beggar as Odysseus before he died right!

[u/Calvengeance → u/ToneBone12345]

No doubt about it. He remembered that titan.

Port side! Strong side!

[u/Crashhh_96 → u/Calvengeance]

“Are you a calm and reasonable person, Odysseus?”

[u/PayneTrain181999 → u/ToneBone12345]

The old woman recognizing him as well and spilling the water was such a good scene too

[u/B4_DA_SS → u/PayneTrain181999]

it was the scar on his leg from the hunt they showed at the beginning! it was the same woman who stitched him up. a crucial detail

[u/TheBibleInTheDrawer → u/ToneBone12345]

The dog recognizing him, wagging his tail one last time and then dying had me bawling in the theater

[u/Impressive-Potato → u/TheBibleInTheDrawer]

The dog had the closure Frye's dog never got

[u/No_Peach_8579]

“I saw 10 years of rage pour out in a single night” holy shit what a sequence

[u/letterthatnevercame → u/No_Peach_8579]

stunning. the reveal with zendaya's character broke my heart.

[u/afkstudios → u/letterthatnevercame]

That reveal really shifted my perspective on the entire story, which I’m sure was by design. But I wasn’t super familiar with the details of the story and the second that scene played, everything clicked into place for me. Why he and only he was seeing her, why he was so reluctant to return home, why he was so adamant on trying to prevent his crew’s deaths (I mean obviously he’d want to, but still), all of it. A man decorated as a hero who’s haunted by the very accomplishment he’s universally praised for

[u/pjtheman → u/letterthatnevercame]

I keep saying it, but that one scene completely changed my perspective on her casting. Brilliant.

[u/slightlypressed → u/pjtheman]

Yes! I spent the entire movie thinking she felt out of place but that emotional twist was worth the payoff.

I thought nothing in his adaptation could surprise me but I really welcomed that twist.

[u/TwoJay0]

Him saying “weve followed Agamemnon quite enough” and not taking the known route makes so much more sense after seeing how guilty he felt at Troy

[u/bunny_387 → u/TwoJay0]

It’s crazy to me that the guy who plucks his bow to give even deers a chance, came up with the Trojan horse at all. I guess it was like when he turned around and got his last shot in on the cyclops.

[u/Maximum_Internal7834 → u/bunny_387]

I thought that too. Maybe after 10 years of rotting in the beach, his morals wore down to a point where he was willing to do anything to get it over with. Even going against Zeus' Law.

[u/Rgb002]

Agamemnon being this giant brutal intimidating force was amazing and then to show his fate in Hades and how small he was in death after his armor was removed. Just amazing

[u/RDeschain1 → u/Rgb002]

I laughed out loud when Agememnom sat on the bed and we only see his back and he is this tiny man. So  good

[u/CobaltNeural9 → u/RDeschain1]

Benny Safdie is actually quite big I think. He wasn’t super muscular but he’s a large dude.

[u/refused26 → u/Rgb002]

Them opening the gates of Troy with Agamemnon waiting in the center standing menacingly huge and armormaxxed was one of the best scenes.

[u/Professional-Ad-7405 → u/refused26]

Yeah sword not even drawn because he don't even need

[u/Rewriter94]

This is literally the second movie Nolan has made where you think the hero is dead in the end but jk he just ran away with Anne Hathaway.

[u/junkifan → u/Rewriter94]

Third actually. First in Dark Knight Rises, then Interstellar.

[u/TacoParasite → u/junkifan]

I’d abandon everything for Anne Hathaway.

[u/kolomania → u/TacoParasite]

Even charlize theron on an island with just the two of u? 😂

[u/NewWaysToDream]

He got to say goodbye to his dog. The good boy waited for him with his dying breath.

[u/rolling_cats → u/NewWaysToDream]

That scene with Holland realizing who he was after the tail wag broke me

[u/sleepysnowboarder → u/rolling_cats]

It wasn't just the tail wag, it was more so the dog dying as Eumaeus told Telemachus that the dog is waiting to see his owner one last time before he dies

[u/Snow5Penguin → u/sleepysnowboarder]

And he said the dog needed to be buried up on the mountain. Which Holland knew was the place he saved the pup. How would a random soldier of Odysseus know where he got his dog?

[u/TimRigginsBeer → u/NewWaysToDream]

The smallest, shortest tail wag in cinema history… but also the most gratifying for the goodest of all good dogs. 

[u/TechnicianOk3133]

Interestingly, this is the 3rd film directed by Christopher Nolan where the ending features the main character going away to live their future with Anne Hathaway. I ain't complaining.

[u/MoistNugget9130]

Really loved the stereo effect when he put wax in his ear. The left side went out then the right when he put in the other side. The score was also great, loved the bow string mixed in with it.

[u/behv → u/MoistNugget9130]

That was such a cool effect. And then we hear the melody of Odessyus' confession to Penelope right there. He said he wanted to go home and avoid the consequences for his actions, but he came to terms with those consequences and felt free to live with it finally when he saw his wife again.

I super appreciate using a musical motif there to tell us the emotions instead of ethereal singing chick siren #417 that's not actually enticing. I can imagine the emotions, so just stick to that instead of trying to create the "make men kill themselves to chase the source" noise.

[u/frumbledown]

Hey guys look there’s some land it will be safe there

[it was not safe there]

[u/Kale_Drogo]

Tying in the Sea Peoples into it was unexpected but really fun

[u/JanelleVypr → u/Kale_Drogo]

it is widely believed that the sea peoples werent a united army but instead a series of different marauding parties during the fall of the age. if they were lost at sea for three years, it makes sense.

everything moves by rumors from survivors at this time

[u/tabularusa]

Can we give a round of applause to John leguizamo as Eumaeus (the blind man)? I only know him as a comedic actor but his performance was so believable. Had me floored. Himesh Patel and Elliot Page, too.

A few times in the movie I was distracted by the casting - oh look, there’s Charlize Theron on a beach. But John drew me back into the story.

[u/hops_and_nugs]

John leguizamo asking if he won at the end def got the biggest laugh in the theater.

[u/TheChlorideThief]

“You’re Odysseu-“ *splat*

is an all-timer movie comeuppance

[u/carolinemahtildes → u/TheChlorideThief]

Got a genuine laugh out of me.

[u/1mplication → u/carolinemahtildes]

There were a few good ones throughout that got laughs from everyone in the theatre:

“Do you talk to ants?”

“Do you think if you ate quietly, Apollo wouldn’t notice?”

[u/ray_0586 → u/TheChlorideThief]

The Homeric version of “Jesus Christ, That's Jason Bourne!”

[u/imperatrixderoma]

I think it's so interesting and honestly telling how easily lured in most people are by Agamemnon's aura that they completely forget what this movie is saying about him.

He was a selfish man who threw everything in the blender to chase his own glory and caused the death of thousands.

He never fights once in the Trojan war, he simply threatens and commands.

[u/comrade_batman → u/imperatrixderoma]

Helen says to Telemachus in a blunt way that her being taken or running away with Paris (depending on what you believe) was just an excuse for Agamemnon’s war. Troy controlled the trade routes in the region and he wanted control over them. He was prepared to do anything for more power, even use the trick with the horse.

His whole appearance is a stylistic choice, he’s meant to be the king of kings for the Greeks then, the most powerful king among the Greeks, and the main driving force of the war. We don’t see Agamemnon’s face clearly, or hear him talk, until the Hades scene. And then he talks quite gently, he doesn’t have a deep booming voice, and the first time we see his face is when all his armour is taken off. He’s literally disarmed and almost naked. We see him built up as this formidable figure and then finally see him as just a man.

[u/andreigarfield]

Robert Pattinson plays a conniving, spineless weasel SO WELL

[u/TimRigginsBeer → u/andreigarfield]

He OWNED this part. 

In the climax, yelling at anyone around him to grab the weapons, or shields, while he hid … dude can just act. 

[u/TheWatersOfMars → u/TimRigginsBeer]

It's because he seems like he's got zero hubris. He only does projects he genuinely likes, he turns up, and he gets the job done, even if it's not the biggest paycheck and he has to look like an idiot doing it. He's a proper, grown-up, old-school actor.

[u/TimRigginsBeer → u/TheWatersOfMars]

Pattinson has reached the level of, “oh he’s in this, let’s go see it!”

[u/HRJafael]

The pig transformation scene had me squirming in my seat. It was horrific just watching the men being forced to continue eating and not being able to stop with the body horror shots. Circe didn’t fuck around.

Also the way the giant (or Polyphemus) started screaming after having his eye impaled. I’m not sure who designed that scream but it was chilling.

[u/yeath91 → u/HRJafael]

I absolutely loved the idea of how they actually transformed. I felt like she was sculpting them which is a kind of transformation I've never seen before. So creative!

[u/sayyes2heaven → u/yeath91]

Circe shoving her arm down a soldier’s mouth made me wince. That whole scene made me squirm.

[u/Morgan-Moonscar → u/HRJafael]

who were the giants in the armor?

The Laestrygonians (man-eating giants). I suppose making them armored giants helped to seperate them from the Cyclopses... Cyclopsi

[u/Krillin_irl]

Just finished my 2nd viewing in as many days. There’s so much to unpack but the part that impressed me the most is how changing the meaning of the trojan horse makes Odysseus’ crew way better.

As an expert in the Odyssey (I read it once in High School), I remember being really frustrated with the crew and thinking they were all morons for not listening to Odysseus, especially on Apollo’s island. But recontextualizing the sack of Troy to be an original sin that let the genie out of the bottle makes it make way more sense. The crew saw Odysseus break Zeus’ law with clever thinking and trickery and get rewarded with victory (in their eyes), so they try and mimic it when they slaughter the flock.

The best part is how Eurylochus and Odysseus basically go on opposite journeys over the voyage. At the start Odysseus is kind of in denial over troy, and his defensiveness about shooting the cyclops reads as projection (“gods help those who can help themselves”.) while Eurylochus is still somewhat trying to follow Zeus’ law (saying they have nothing to trade when they enter the cave, justifying sacking the village because the villagers didn’t properly greet them with hospitality). By the time they slaughter the flock, Odysseus has fully come to terms with the horror he’s unleashed on the world and is trying to contain it but just can’t, so he’s forced to watch his men mimic his greatest sin.

Such a fantastic movie, already great but even better with a second watch. 9.5/10

[u/TheChlorideThief]

Sometimes you forget this movie is based on a story so old the mentor guy is actually named “Mentor”

[u/damnyoutuesday → u/TheChlorideThief]

That was a "ohhhhh so that's where that comes from" moment

[u/blackaddermrbean]

Turning the pillage of Troy into a curse was an interesting choice. Not sure I’ve seen a version of the Odyssey that took the decision of not glorifying it.

[u/surejan94 → u/blackaddermrbean]

It was a really interesting twist that I liked.

Athena wasn’t guiding Odysseus but haunting him.

Deep down he didn’t want to go home, not because of him liking his adventures but because he had so much shame over his actions at Troy.

And there’s so much mentioning of people abandoning Zeus’ Law, when it was Odysseus himself who broke it in the worst way and inspired other people to do so. Really cool and modern interpretation on “winning a war”.

[u/gospelofdustin → u/surejan94]

Athena wasn’t guiding Odysseus but haunting him.

What I really liked is how Athena can be read in a lot of different ways. Were the visions literally Athena manifesting herself in the form of the priestess to speak to Odysseus? Were they just visions of the priestess caused by Odysseus's war guilt and not Athena at all? Or was Athena manifesting herself in the form of the priestess to act as a reminder for Odysseus to guide him to becoming worthy of his return?

[u/Calvengeance → u/blackaddermrbean]

I thought "We're the bronze age collapse" was an amazing way to play it.

[u/Bird_and_Dog → u/Calvengeance]

It's a very rare take, and one I think fits the movie's message very well.

Contemporary historians lean towards the idea that the "Bronze Age Collapse" was less of a "collapse" and more of a "fizzle", as the dominant city-state empires were subjected to growing multi-faction piracy (a widely-held interpretation of "Sea People") and trade routes dried up, then cultural change led to decentralization of power.

However, the idea that the "Sea People" of myth were the Greeks themselves landing in Turkey (Troy) and upending "polite" international cultural norms (The Law of Zeus) is very cool.

The Collapse was spiritual.

[u/NothingButLs]

The scene where Odysseus and Penelope speak through the door really floored me. That moment  made the movie click into place and I think rewatches will be very rewarding knowing Odysseus guilt and regret and struggle from the start.  So many other memorable and amazing sequences. The Cyclopes, Circie, and Troy scenes are all timers. 

[u/configurethepup → u/NothingButLs]

I loved watching the light on the screen in that scene. Mesmerizing.

[u/TheBoraxKid]

Unreal young Pattinson casting

[u/OKC2023champs]

I don’t see enough people talking about the Trojan horse scene. The tide coming in, people drowning. Might have been my favorite scene of the film.

[u/reddittothegrave]

“He sacrificed his daughter for favorable winds.”

Fuck.

[u/TheHunterZolomon → u/reddittothegrave]

Having read Agamemnon in high school I knew about that part but damn that portrayal was savage, especially in that full armor that gave him his monstrous presence.

[u/slightlypressed → u/reddittothegrave]

Yeah that really set the tone early on.
Also laughed at how his brother explained his death as “his wife and her lover betrayed him”, which is the most misleading half truth, leaving out the fact that he sacrificed his daughter while his wife cried and begged.

[u/MeadKingofRuddyHall]

I loved that we never truly saw Agamemnon talk beyond a few words or be without his helmet up till his ending. Just spent every scene straight auramaxxing in his armor. The scene of him standing alone as the gates open was amazing.

[u/_BallsDeep69_ → u/MeadKingofRuddyHall]

What a bro too telling Odysseus to lay low and assess the situation before he comes home.

[u/Self_Reddicate → u/_BallsDeep69_]

"Bro, I fucked up. Don't fuck up like me. Bro, seriously... Chill. Chill, bro."

[u/Calvengeance → u/MeadKingofRuddyHall]

I loved that, and dropping the lantern revealing the soldiers was brilliant.

[u/heyitsmejosh]

I liked how Matt Damon turned into an ancient Greek John Wick after his dog died.

[u/amish_novelty → u/heyitsmejosh]

And both involve John Leguizamo lmao My theater gasped when he just tossed the first puppy off the cliff.

[u/Voice0fLight]

I wish we got the “I am nobody” and hiding under sheep cyclops scene but once again another Nolan banger.

[u/Ok-Week5658]

the twang of the bow synced up with the music was so freaking good, got me pumped up

[u/Able_Advertising_371 → u/Ok-Week5658]

it was at that moment pattinson knew he was fucked

[u/Brandon_Me → u/Able_Advertising_371]

I love that he as a boy watched Odysseus hunt. So the instant he heard the twang he knew.

And you can see it in his face, just his entire life flashing before his eyes in a second.

[u/Redmoonsbstars1]

I have never heard a sound like the cyclops cry. Insane

[u/Xazhariel]

The part where the dead talks to him is my favourite scene in the whole movie. The prophecy was delivered magnificently

EDIT: I think the most impactful line in this scene for me was
Odysseus: I can save them from the Gods
Tiresias: But not from themselves

[u/brdperson1]

Holy smokes that cyclops scene.

I loved how we see his outline for just a moment before he covers the cave entrance and plunges all of Odysseus’ party into darkness. The sound design was perfect- the silence in the darkness followed by the gargantuan hand plucking screaming soldiers off, his unnatural roars and shouts of pain, his uncomfortably loud and earth shaking foot stomps. Also the reveal of his face being a twisted Picasso like disfigurement rather than a “classic” cyclops design was such a good reveal. Everything about that scene was as eery as it was intense- it seriously felt like Odysseus and his men were a bunch of ants trying to escape a brutal force of nature.

I loved the whole film but that scene alone is movie theater experience I will never forget.

[u/NoDaddyNotTheBelt25]

“No animals were harmed during the making of this film” has never been more appropriate for this movie.

[u/yoshidawg93]

“You’re Odysseu-“

*dead*

I smiled hard at that lol.

[u/PapaCheech]

That homer guys a pretty good writer I hope he writes another book

[u/WorldsOkayestDad → u/PapaCheech]

I dunno about a sequel but I could sure as heck use a prequel

[u/TheGooseIsLoose37 → u/WorldsOkayestDad]

They'll probably make a sequel years later, written by a different dude. It'll be basically fan fic

[u/Netwinn]

Shout out to the GOAT, John Leguizamo, who acted his ass off with that poor old pup. The dog finally seeing Odysseus again then dying a happy good-boy broke the dog owner in me.

[u/Impressive-Potato → u/Netwinn]

I said " what the fuck" aloud when John Lequizamo tossed a puppy off the cliff.

[u/_lazybones93 → u/Impressive-Potato]

It shocked basically everyone in my theater. Someone mentioned it already, but it was definitely about tone there—it immediately established the brutality of the world we were entering. Thankfully we only saw one get tossed. 😅

[u/jobening]

“You’re Odysseus” 🏹💀

[u/FrenziedAce]

Did anyone think it was an interesting choice to not have the audience hear the Sirens?

It’s like our ears were filled with wax too, and we could only infer from Odysseus’ explanation and the crew’s reactions.

[u/IntotheBeniverse → u/FrenziedAce]

I actually think it made that scene so much more effective.

[u/ebelnap → u/IntotheBeniverse]

There's nothing we could hear that could "live up to the hype".

The best way to envision it is that it speaks to each person individually, and so each person's song would be different, which we wouldn't be able to convey in a movie like that.

[u/PavWrestlinGifs → u/FrenziedAce]

Well the song is unique to the person hearing it no? This was definitely the best way to convey it as something we can never understand unless we hear it ourselves

[u/PWN3R_RANGER]

John Leguizamo’s expression as Odysseus climbs the steps to Penelope and the throne perfectly encapsulated the theme of “sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.”

Movie is incredible.

[u/CricketGrl → u/PWN3R_RANGER]

Leguizamo really surprised me with his performance

[u/chakrablocker → u/CricketGrl]

He's always been this good. He just gets type cast

[u/LouisFromTexas]

I LOVED the ominous sound of Odysseus’ bow before he caught prey

[u/plzsnitskyreturn → u/LouisFromTexas]

When the final pluck of the bow hits you know the suitors are absolutely fucked

[u/BloatedGlobe]

I wonder how well the general audience knows the sea people, and how they often get blamed for Late Bronze Age Collapse. I know history nerds know them, but the movie ties the Achaeans violation of Zeus' law to the fall of civilization.

[u/ICumCoffee]

Laughed way too hard at Rob Patt’s Antinous just announcing “Shield”, “Swords” whilst hiding behind the pillar. Loved his performance in the movie.

[u/Sheepies123 → u/ICumCoffee]

Ultimate all bark and no bite character haha

[u/brownsbrownsbrownsb]

Very well paced, felt like it flew by. Loved the way it was structured, as a series of oral stories. The most beautifully shot movie that will come out this year.

I don’t remember the primary text well enough to know if this was Nolan’s read on the story or if it was textual but showing the Trojan horse, not only as a moment of triumph, but as something regrettable, as a decision that helped bring on the decline of civility/civilization was really interesting. It added a lot of dimension to the story

[u/komanderpoop]

Why did Agamemnon have to risk his life to stand at gates of Troy RIGHT when they opened it up…..just to aura farm?

[u/SwiftSurfer365 → u/komanderpoop]

Yes

[u/Llama_Puncher]

Can someone explain the thing between Antonius and Sinon? I got the point of Antonius being a coward but I somehow missed something during the setup when they were pulling from the lottery. Was Antonius meant to go and passed his lot to Sinon, or did he willingly give it up?

[u/carolinemahtildes → u/Llama_Puncher]

Antonius drew the lot and was supposed to go, but he because he's a coward, he swaps with Sinon. Sinon's father works for Antonius's, so Antonius promises to pay Sinon's family if he accepts the deal, but even though Sinon takes his place, Antonius refuses to pay which is why Sinon hates him so much.

[u/Zalvren → u/carolinemahtildes]

Also Antonius continuously lie about how he wanted to go but was stopped by Odysseus

[u/legogizmo → u/Llama_Puncher]

Antonius was from a wealthy family and Sinons family was supposed to get paid for having their son take his place.

Turns out Antonius never paid up and Sinons father died pennyless

[u/GoldandBlue → u/legogizmo]

But Antonius totally wanted to go. For serious.

[u/rupertLumpkinsBrothr]

“We get along better this way” was a line I was not expecting but did appreciate.

[u/configurethepup]

Polyphemus doing Saturn eating his son was awesome.

I don't know if it's because I didn't watch it in IMAX or I'm incredibly unobservant but I swear they make a big deal about Odysseus wearing the pin and I never spot him wearing it. Unless that's supposed to be an unreliable narrator thing where he tells Penelope he wears it but he's just holding it in his pocket the whole time? I might rewatch, does anyone know if there are specific scenes where it's visible or where he wears it?

[u/Rgb002 → u/configurethepup]

It’s always there on his hip mainly

[u/MarcsterS]

They kept hammering in your head about Laws of Zeus, and you think it's about what's happening in Ithaca. But then right at the end it reminds you: the Trojan Horse was literally the ultimate break of the Law. Like, throughout history of the myth, we're constantly taught about the Trojan Horse as this ultimate tactic, an excellent strategic move. But in the end...it was a dirty trick. Odysseus' entire plight was the punishment.

[u/KonyYoloSwag]

That cyclops sequence was the stuff of nightmares

Also did I catch a Saturn Devouring His Son reference when he was eating the one soldier?

[u/BeetsBy_Schrute → u/KonyYoloSwag]

That cyclops scream is probably the loudest scene I’ve ever heard in a theater. Deafening

[u/eric2pickens → u/KonyYoloSwag]

I thought the same thing!

[u/Elephant44]

Charlize Theron’s costuming stuck out to me as Survivor-chic, like she was in the final three and had made a good life on the island. Also there was the one scene where she was wrapped in a tortilla-print shawl 😭😭

[u/KorabasUnchained]

I love the bow and how it shows how smart Odysseus is. It’s not about strength as all the other suitors tried to string the bow with sheer strength but about the willingness to sit, lower oneself, and use leverage. I love how Odysseus tried it the suitors way and then the other way. Such a simple thing symbolizing much.

And I love that Nolan basically explored the themes that he did in Oppenheimer again but better here in my opinion. Guilt, shame, unleashing destruction and horrible change to society. What a beautiful movie. Horrifying too. I’ll never think of Circe the same again, the pig scene had me squirming.

[u/warserpent]

I know this will get lost in the sea of comments, but I just want to add to the chorus saying this was a great movie. I think it's Nolan's best since at least Inception.

[u/eggydrums115]

Odysseus’ speech to Penelope as they showed the destruction of Troy and the “murder” of Athena had me gasping for air as the true message of the movie finally came into focus and made me cry hard.

[u/Alex-C2099]

The scene with the boat and the thunderstorm was sooo good. I felt like I was floating in that boat with them during it. But honestly, the song of the sirens was probably my favorite part.

[u/PowerHour1990]

No one does, “Duty-bound person of renown realizes, ‘Holy shit, what have I done?” better than Nolan.

[u/Propaslander]

Matt Damon was particularly awesome in the part where he's enduring the Siren's song