The Odyssey is the latest gargantuan epic directed by the iconic filmmaker Christopher Nolan, whose last film, Oppenheimer, was one of the highest-grossing IMAX films of all time. Nolan kept shooting on 70-millimeter film for this next movie, which is already surpassing his previous film in terms of hype, critical reception, and overall splendor. The Odyssey wasn’t a Greek mythology action-adventure romp; it was a full-scale event. 

Christopher Nolan is known for his devotion to practicality in movies. He wants to immerse the audience without a green screen but still have the same effects. He did it in style in 2013’s Interstellar with a physical robot (VARS) and has amazed us all again with a big and brash cyclops puppet. On top of all that, all scenes are lived in and are on non-computer generated screen sets, which makes for a more visceral and relatable experience for the audience.

Knowing Nolan’s impeccable cinematography makes it all the more endearing to be sat in a three-hour-long show where Odysseus and his men go from various islands trying to restock ship resources while meeting peculiar strangers. Every single island features a completely different setup and tone, including the great sacking of Troy in flashback scenes. All the while, the many suitors for his throne grow increasingly restless with his long disappearance from home.

A few underrated standouts from the A-list cast are Himesh Patel as Odysseus’ first mate, who keeps every island they adventure to interesting and filled with whimsy. John Leguizamo as the old loyal swineherd of Odysseus’ estate who bleached his hair and wore painted contact lenses for the character’s blindness was an unexpected delight on screen.

If you adore history, you will love The Odyssey. If you adore films that describe the wear and tear of war and how it affects humans and the societies they live in (quite similar to 2023’s Oppenheimer), you will love The Odyssey. If you adore entertaining movies that make the runtime feel shorter with its excellent editing, sound mixing, and plot pacing, you will love The Odyssey. A film created by one of the gods of cinema in the 21st century is fit for everyone to enjoy (especially in IMAX).