After years of development, Christopher Nolan is finally ready to deliver his interpretation of Homer’s The Odyssey, coming to IMAX theaters and screens worldwide this weekend. Boasting a massive cast of A-Listers (led by Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, and Robert Pattinson), this movie details the legendary king of Ithaca, Odysseus, on his ten-year journey back home after the Trojan War. From here, he encounters terrifying mythical creatures like the Cyclops and the sirens, all while trying to get home to his wife and son and stop his kingdom from being taken over.
The Odyssey is already looking to be one of the biggest new releases of the year, following Nolan’s Oscar-winning efforts on 2023’s Oppenheimer. Shot completely with IMAX cameras and using real-world locations to add to the scale, this movie is as epic as any project coming to the big screen in 2026. Now, in the days leading up to its release, its first official ratings are going live online after early reactions teased another successful outing for Nolan.
Rotten Tomatoes revealed its initial average Tomatometer Score (critics’ rating) for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. With 58 reviews tallied, an astonishing 98% of them are positive. Should that number stick, it would give Christopher Nolan the highest average Tomatometer score of his career, surpassing the 94% held by both The Dark Knight (2008) and Memento (2000).
Looking deeper at the reviews, Next Best Picture‘s Matt Neglia described this story as “as big as stories and movies can possibly get” in the modern era. He also noted it tying back “to Nolan’s previous work” and “borrowing singular elements from each film” and bringing them together for what could be his best film ever. Region Free‘s Joonatan Itkonen called The Odyssey “a breathtaking masterpiece unlike anything we’ve seen in decades,” making it clear that it “reminds us why we go to the movies.”
USA Today‘s Brian Truitt also dubbed it “the greatest work on the iconic director’s noteworthy resume” and pushed for star Matt Damon to receive the Oscar for Best Lead Actor already. Fresh Fiction‘s Courtney Howard proclaimed The Odyssey to be “a genuine masterclass in filmmaking” and used the terms “awe-inducing, breathtaking, and impeccably composed” in her review. Additionally, The Movie Podcast‘s Daniel Baptista had similar praise, calling the movie “a MYTHIC and MASSIVE MASTERWORK” from Nolan that will likely become “the most unforgettable big screen experience of the year.”
Safe to say, all of the hype and build-up to this movie’s release was not an understatement, as Nolan seems to deliver the highlight of his already storied career with The Odyssey. The performances from stars like Matt Damon have already earned massive praise from critics, as Nolan brought out the best in his team and delivered visuals not seen in many movies this decade, avoiding CGI and capturing as much as he could on camera. As fans wait for the weekend for this film’s full release, the stage could be set for one of the summer’s most epic blockbusters to dominate the coming weeks at the box office.
The Odyssey will debut in theaters worldwide on Jul. 16, 2026.
- Release Date
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July 17, 2026
- Runtime
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172 Minutes
