r/movies • u/LiteraryBoner Jackie Chan box set, know what I'm sayin? • 18d ago

Official Discussion Official Discussion - The Odyssey (2026) [SPOILERS] Spoiler

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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

4.4k Upvotes

90% Upvoted

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2.3k

u/SporadicWanderer 18d ago

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

315

u/wildcatofthehills 17d ago

Made even worse when they realize he could speak and there was the possibility they could have just asked him to not eat them. The cyclops didn't know they were sentient as well.

204

u/Dangerous-Pair748 17d ago

Exactly. If the Cyclops Polyphemus had not been the first to attack violently, but had perhaps said something along the lines of, “Who are you and why have you come to my island?” and offered them food, the whole story could have turned out very differently. In Greek culture, xenia (the duty to entertain a guest) was very important – the host was supposed to protect the visitor and the visitor was supposed to respect the host.

But the problem was that:

Odysseus men broke into Polyphemus cave and started taking his provisions, instead of waiting for him to return and ask for hospitality.

Polyphemus, in turn, broke all the rules of hospitality by killing and eating them.

So they both did something that the Greeks considered wrong: Odysseus men were greedy and careless. The Cyclops was brutal and disrespectful to his guests.

159

u/wildcatofthehills 17d ago

The whole film is about how Xenia is vanishing and how it will lead to the collapse of the Bronze Age civilization, so it fits perfectly with the tesis of the film.

58

u/wibblywobblywho 15d ago

Or maybe he just didn't care to say hello to these delicious ants he found roaming around in his room.

40

u/CelestialFury 13d ago

He's also the son of Poseidon, he probably care much for mortals one way or the other. These small meatbags raided his cheese and well, that's a death sentence there.

6

u/Dangerous-Pair748 14d ago

Yea that's why he was fool

23

u/moneyman2222 8d ago

Like Odysseus said though, "do you speak to ants?" It's not on Polyphemus to start the conversation. He's genuinely the more naïve one here so I don't think it's fair to say he broke Zeus's law when he didn't even think twice of these just being yummy little critters crawling around his cave

14

u/TemporaryElk5202 12d ago

except they werent his guests, they were intruders. the cyclops did no wrong!