Be of Zeus’s law always. Like Gods will.

The Odyssey is a 2026—almost three-hour — epic directed by Christopher Nolan. This film stars a conveyor belt of A1 actors: Lupita Nyong’o, Tom Holland, Jon Bernthal, Anne Hathaway, and the star, Matt Damon. All the talents are utilized for their emotional prowess on screen, not their names. Films with long lengths and hype surrounding them can usually lead to unpopularity with the audience or general disdain for the film if it doesn’t live up 2 said “hype”. This flick undoubtedly does otherwise.

The film’s plot is derived from Homer’s exceptional poem— The Odyssey. Odysseus, one of the main strategists in the Trojan War and the focus of the story, concludes the conflict in victory. Afterwards embarking on a 10-year journey back to reach home. This journey back is anything but easy, as you watch in the film or remember from the story. Odysseus and his crew encounter sirens, the son of Poseidon— a cyclops, giant soldiers named Laestrygonians, a witch, and more. Simply…Odysseus doesn’t have an easy way back home.

A standout for this one is the director— Christopher Nolan. This film exceptionally blends many facets of the various tellings of this legendary tale. What the viewer watches on screen truly is impeccable. Costumes, modes of transportation, and language all transport the viewer to another world. Though some costumes and boats in the movie could be attributed to Vikings, they still do a great job placing you in another time. Cinematography-wise, the film is beautiful, with most of it being shot on location. Untouched landscapes of New Zealand, Greece, Italy, and other wild places can all be seen breathtakingly on screen. The scale of this movie is massive yet focused. Also, Nolan used no CGI— unbelievable. Instead utilizing practical effects and perspective, along with other means to create the grandiose factors of the film.

This film is great. Nolan, as the maestro of the film, does everything in his power to immerse you in his film’s world. Which he does.