The Odyssey

Watched Jul 27, 2026

Some deeper thoughts on a second viewing from a better seat. I think the thing about most Nolan films is that they rely on star power more than star performances. Nolan is far more interested in the visual element of film and that craft than any other element. There is still an art to casting for him, but it makes it so that performances are more prone to seeming uneven, both across the cast and across a work itself. Throughout the whole of this film, but mostly in the first act, you can feel the majority of the actors struggling with the more poetic parts of the script—if there’s a problem to be had with the language modernization, it’s that it puts this issue on full display.

Here’s a shortlist of standout moments/performances for me:<br />1. Back to your disguises.<br />2. John Leguizamo<br />3. BEGGARS.<br />4. Zendaya, particularly that last sequence.<br />5. Anne Hathaway, especially when she realizes Odysseus is home.<br />6. Lupita, duh!<br />7. That one deer.<br />8. The progressive reveal of the taking of Troy—something really powerful about us not getting it all at once.

Watched Jul 17, 2026

My biggest note is that we deserved to observe more of the relationship between Odysseus and the gods. Making them almost wholly mythical, outside of Athena, feels unfaithful to the story. Aside from that, I will just say that this movie doesn’t feel extraordinary as much as it feels like a solid hero’s journey. We’re so used to getting scraps in this day and age that I think people are overrating this.