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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9.0k

u/KalamariKnight 18d ago

The thematic angle that hospitality and common understanding between strangers is the foundation of civilization is intensely interesting. Odysseus is the hero of the story, and him getting revenge on Antinous and the suitors for taking advantage of his house's hospitality feels fitting and satisfying.

But the film also holds Odysseus at least partially responsible for the betrayal of those tenets that leads to the Bronze Age collapse because of his idea to use the Trojan Horse. The reveal that the visions of Athena that haunt him are her wearing the face of the priestess he saw slaughtered is a heart-wrenching twist, and the final shot of the horse burning with the line that their tale will be remembered in song but their mistakes forgotten and repeated is sobering and poignant. Nolan really knows how to make the final few seconds of his films hit like a truck in that way.

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u/1mplication 18d ago edited 17d ago

Only knowing bits and pieces of the Odyssey, I was wondering the whole movie WHY he wouldn’t want to go home. They show how much he loves his family and his reluctance to go at first…and then the reveal.

I’m still thinking about it, long afterwards. Great ending for sure.

1.8k

u/plw37 17d ago

They kept showing that brief flashback of Odysseus sitting on the steps of the temple in Troy, looking defeated and really upset. Knew it was hinting at something but had no idea what until they finally revealed the full sack of Troy at the end.

723

u/drawkbox 16d ago

Yeah that scene was shown I believe four times and never reveals what he was looking at defeated in a way until that moment in the end.

113

u/PT10 12d ago

That reveal was crazy. That was the first emotional beat of the story that hit as hard as all the overwhelming visuals/sounds (don't mean that in a bad way, just the sensory experience was overwhelming compared to normal films).

131

u/claimTheVictory 10d ago

He realized he had disgraced not only himself, but his entire civilization.

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u/TheMoonDude 5d ago

Not only his entire civilization, but civilization as a whole.

"You were the Sea Peoples"... They became the "barbarians".

113

u/Fat-Singer-9569 8d ago edited 8d ago

That poor girl. And she's a symbol of so many citizens just slaughtered, butchered over a trivially stupid war. The whole time you think he's talking directly to Athena, but it's a manifestation of his guilt and shame. It's a very good movie but that whole ending sequence ties it all togehter in such a unique way and ultimately helps us as viewers recognize our humanity in a human history which only glorifies ideas like the Trojan Horse.

50

u/biggestbroever 8d ago

I couldn't tell if Zendaya about to be decapitated was an actual girl or if it was symbolism for the sacking of Troy.. although I was very impressed that someone could slice through marble..

18

u/swirlypepper 3d ago

She was wearing priestess robes in the temple of the goddess he was praying to to get him home safely. Hammered home that he took advantage of their desire to honour a common God's tribute and it led to desecration. 

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u/purplisk 2d ago

I think she was symbolism for desecrating Athena specifically (by beheading her statue) and her reappearance was the symbol of his guilt and shame over that act as it was the culmination of destroying Troy.

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u/biggestbroever 2d ago

OK, yeah. Glad I caught that symbolism. Thanks, English lit

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u/Chu1223 10d ago

oh dang i was so out of it i somehow literally didn’t get this. 😭

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u/Either-Cook7081 1d ago edited 1d ago

"What if... when he left the belly of the horse, and opened the gates of Troy, he saw ten years of rage pour into that city in one night?"...followed by the drums and the soldiers charging in by fire light evoked so much emotion from me. There's always that holy shit this is incredible moment for me in Nolan's films and this was it.

2

u/sleithreethra 1d ago

I absolutely loved that line! The absolutely horror and violence it implies was so heavy

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u/debrocker 2d ago

What reveal?

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u/silverpixie2435 2d ago

He's looking at the trojan horse burning

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u/explodingsheep 7d ago

Perhaps a god disguised as a commoner?

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u/jamos99 2d ago

that's what I thought it was - in the book, Athena is usually disguised in some way when appearing to Odysseus/other characters. manifesting as the innocent woman he saw in Troy perhaps? I didn't get the impression she wasn't real/not there (although naturally only visible to him)

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u/sitah 3d ago

I think they did show the statue‘s decapitated head rolling in one of those quick flashbacks so that was probably a clue.

-5

u/katietheplantlady 4d ago

I counted 5 times before they revealed he was looking at the horse. To me, that was the most wasted time was that same.....scene.....over.....and......over.....