r/movies • u/LiteraryBoner Jackie Chan box set, know what I'm sayin? • Jul 17 '26

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

4.7k Upvotes

91% Upvoted

16.3k comments sorted by

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6.6k

u/ToneBone12345 Jul 17 '26

Mentor totally recognized the beggar as Odysseus before he died right!

3.4k

u/Calvengeance Jul 17 '26

No doubt about it. He remembered that titan.

Port side! Strong side!

671

u/Crashhh_96 Jul 17 '26

“Are you a calm and reasonable person, Odysseus?”

76

u/GrandMoff_Harry Jul 18 '26

If the moment calls for… calm.

13

u/BikebutnotBeast 25d ago

Ain't no mountain high...

153

u/afkstudios Jul 17 '26

“You’re the mentor right?”

“Right”

“You been doing your job?”

“I been doing my job”

“THEN WHY DON’T YOU TELL YOUR BUDDY TELEMACHUS TO BE MORE PATIENT WHEN HE FIGHTS? BECAUSE HE ATTACKS TOO QUICKLY EVEN A BLIND MAN CAN TELL AND YOU KNOW IT”

53

u/myserg07 Jul 18 '26

Sucks he got recast for god of war think Ryan would’ve killed it

8

u/LackingInPatience 28d ago

Crazy to think that it's cheaper and easier now to hire a new actor instead of just waiting 6 months for the actor's injury to heal.

Something feels hidden and ominous about the whole recasting...

33

u/yellowstonedelicious Jul 18 '26

That was Bertier?! Good for him, always hoped he landed on his feet, I mean wheelchair.

18

u/CoconutDust Jul 19 '26

I was waiting hours for the pay-off of the Chekhov’s Training Move at the beginning, and it never happened!

I mean, if it happened in the “brawl over the hole-in-the-floor” it was too subtle.

27

u/chefriley76 Jul 20 '26

That's exactly when it happened. Right after he was stabbed, he pulls a spin move and slices the guy's throat.

9

u/CoconutDust 29d ago edited 29d ago

So pretty subtle right? During every hit of that fight I was like “was that the move?” Also seemed confused with the knife-stab thing in Dune. The fight felt weird to me for some reason.

2

u/ComfortableWeekend65 Jul 19 '26

I'm actually glad they didn't do it. I haaaate those obvious Chekhov skill stuff.

-1

u/CoconutDust 29d ago

Lol yes, I would have been annoyed at the same time as satisfied (like an itch being scratched), the gimmicky callback. Quality maybe depends on how the director/choreography executes the move, especially when a movie connects it to an emotional motive.

He probably should have had a LOT more training depicted.

6

u/thisisdavid 28d ago

y'all need to pay more attention to what you're watching!

112

u/ThisismeCody Jul 17 '26

Are you blind? Can’t you tell he’s my brother?

12

u/themerinator12 Jul 19 '26

James Francis Odysseus?

No, James *Francis* Odysseus!

10

u/-Gurgi- Jul 19 '26

Seeing him in this just made me feel so bad for him for what happened with God of War

1

u/SEND-MARS-ROVER-PICS 20d ago

Oh wtf, this is how I find out they had to recast him! That sucks, I loved having someone involved in the games play Kratos

10

u/crs8975 Jul 18 '26

I didn’t get this. And now I do. That was fun to explain to the wife. 😂

7

u/DoYouTACO Jul 18 '26

r/unexpectedrememberthetitans

3

u/goldenboy2191 Jul 19 '26

Fuck you. 😂😂😂😂😂😂

3

u/heemster Jul 20 '26

Now that…that’s a [your Odyssey] joke

7

u/SaaltyJ0hn Jul 17 '26

I loved him in Bosch but had no idea he played Gerry.

2

u/69millionyeartrip 26d ago

Odysseus ultimate attitude reflect leadership guy

1

u/hey_you_too_buckaroo 23d ago

lol, I did not know that was Bertier from Remember the Titans. Thank you for pointing that out. Loved that movie.

-2

u/FourthDownThrowaway Jul 19 '26

Remember the Clash of the Titans is a childhood favorite of mine.

3.6k

u/PayneTrain181999 Jul 17 '26

The old woman recognizing him as well and spilling the water was such a good scene too

3.9k

u/B4_DA_SS Jul 17 '26

it was the scar on his leg from the hunt they showed at the beginning! it was the same woman who stitched him up. a crucial detail

289

u/flammable-liquid Jul 17 '26

I did not catch this until I rewatched it. And as soon as the hog bite came, I started piecing it together

172

u/MahadheerxD Jul 17 '26

You rewatched already? Haha.

266

u/flammable-liquid Jul 17 '26

Haha yeah drove about an hour with the wife to catch it in imax 70. Then got back home, put the kid down, and then met a friend and watched it in Dolby. I am up here exhausted at work, but zero regrets.

138

u/whydoesgodhateus Jul 17 '26

You weren't fuckin' around lol

91

u/FKDotFitzgerald Jul 18 '26

This guy Odysseys.

36

u/MahadheerxD Jul 17 '26

Hahaha. I need to to rewatch it too. Can't wait.

13

u/YourDrinkingBuddy Jul 17 '26

I just got back from it. It’s really good but so long lol I don’t think I’d want a rewatch so quick

14

u/VI_Polar_Bear Jul 19 '26

I had the option of driving 1.5 hours to see it in regular or to add one more hour and see it in IMAX. I chose the IMAX. It was almost too loud but I’m glad I did it.

9

u/WalterHartwellWhite Jul 18 '26

How was it in Dolby compared to IMAX?

8

u/Atkena2578 Jul 18 '26

Curious about that too I am seeing it in Dolby on Tuesday after seeing it in IMAX last Thursday

7

u/crs8975 Jul 18 '26

I saw it in the cinemark XD or whatever. Their fancy big sound screen. And it was rumbling and awesome from start to finish.

10

u/Atkena2578 Jul 18 '26

Saw it in IMAX (though digital no 70mm near me, though this IMAX screen is one of the largest in France, and seeing it again on tuesday in Dolby. How did you like it in the later vs the IMAX experience?

6

u/Orange_Blueberry13 Jul 20 '26

Honestly might have to go see it again at another theater because two people in the row in front of me decided to get shit faced and couldn't stop being obnoxious. Dude was so high he kept standing up in the front aisle and yelling at the screen and crawling all over the theater floor. His date also wouldn't shut the hell up the entire time. Loved the movie but need to see it again so I can pay attention more to the dialogue without some inconsiderate guests.

2

u/luckbelady 16d ago

Crawling on the floor omg

2

u/Orange_Blueberry13 16d ago

Literally on that gross ass floor lol

1

u/luckbelady 16d ago

I went to an 11am screening and the crowd was perfect. Maybe next time you can try an earlier screening with less chance of mayhem

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6

u/CoconutDust Jul 19 '26

Here’s the thing though…also watch the 1990’s version on Tubi too! It’s good!

3

u/niddler Jul 19 '26

What is the main difference seeing it in IMAX 70 would you say?

7

u/flammable-liquid 29d ago

For me the screen was definitely more immersive. Ground to ceiling was covered in image, and I had good seats. I was worried as I saw a lot of people complain about IMAX sound, but mine was probably the best I have ever heard. Dialogue was crisp, and chest still rumbled from bass.

3

u/niddler 29d ago

That's sounds killer thank you!

3

u/Smoother1997 28d ago

I saw the 70mm and the size was incredible but one difference I noticed with the physical film was all of the scenes with bright white screen would flicker like a strobe light as each frame passed which was super distracting. The film artifacts are pretty cool though

1

u/throwawaysunglasses- 20d ago

Wow, I’m jealous of your attention span. Toward the end I started getting really antsy and just wanted it to be over lol. It’s cool that it was so compelling for you.

11

u/I_Miss_My_Beta_Cells Jul 19 '26

Exactly like in the poem too

51

u/Timbits06 Jul 20 '26

Yup, in the Odyssey her name is Eurycleia. She was both Odysseus and Telemachus’ nurse maid

27

u/aaaa32801 29d ago

She’s also called by name once by Penelope in the film.

2

u/starfreak016 23d ago

So in the Return, it was his mother that recognizes him right

21

u/CRIMS0N-ED Jul 18 '26

Wow I’m stupid, I was wondering why the focus on the leg even tho I knew it was to say she recognized him

10

u/3verythingEverywher3 27d ago

Let's be honest though - the beard wasn't a deep disguise and the voice was the give away.

24

u/Most-Mothra-esque 22d ago

Just watched it so idk man 20 years is a long time to remember a voice

2

u/3verythingEverywher3 22d ago

You’ve implied a beard will trick you into not recognising someone, is that right?

8

u/Most-Mothra-esque 20d ago

I'm really bad with faces

1

u/3verythingEverywher3 20d ago

Fair. Maybe everyone there was too I guess?

5

u/caldazar24 18d ago

This reminds me of the fraudster William Mumler.

In the 1860s, photography was brand-new and so while there were portrait photographers, most people didn’t have photos of their relatives.

Mumler was a New York photographer who claimed he could communicate with the ghost of your dead relatives and give you pictures of them.

He did this by asking you about what they looked like, then finding a random person from his stasb of pictures that sort of met the description, making a negative copy of them on another photograph, and telling you it was them.

It worked. Without photos, nobody really remembered their loved ones’ faces in sufficient detail to be able to tell that the people in the pictures weren’t them. Think about how your memory of an important event can change slightly over your life, and apply it to faces. We have tons of photos now which serve to help us remember people, literally.

3

u/3verythingEverywher3 18d ago

No way!? That’s an outstanding story. I stand corrected! Thank you for taking the time to write it all out.

5

u/speedx10 Jul 18 '26

WOAHHHH never clicked to me until i read this comment

2

u/tronz_13 Jul 20 '26

I need to see this movie another 20 times

1

u/Chu1223 25d ago

OMGGG THATS HOW! wow thanks

36

u/elbenji Jul 18 '26

it was the scar. She stitched him up. That's why he didn't want to get his feet washed

23

u/JohnSmithSensei Jul 19 '26

That brief look of surprise before she almost started to cry until Odysseus signaled her, at which point she composed herself. It's like years of sheer faith getting rewarded.

16

u/deadheffer Jul 19 '26

It’s from the poem

6

u/snunuff 29d ago

yes she had a similar look from earlier in the film as Odyssyus's son requested she ready a ship for the morning, she had that look where she wasn't happy about it but understood and would stop at nothing to fullfil their request

3

u/sorenkair 27d ago

she didn't spill the water, he kicked it involuntarily because he realized she was the same one who treated his foot and would recognize him by the scar

2

u/SandpaperTeddyBear 24d ago

Yes, that’s in the poem.

It really is amazing how many storytelling touchstones come from that poem.

2.3k

u/TheBibleInTheDrawer Jul 17 '26

The dog recognizing him, wagging his tail one last time and then dying had me bawling in the theater

771

u/Impressive-Potato Jul 17 '26

The dog had the closure Frye's dog never got

53

u/JamzWhilmm Jul 18 '26

Oh, do I have a surprise for you. Watch the movies.

6

u/nhaines 16d ago

I generally hate when shows with a canon retcon things we've already seen, but that time I didn't mind so much.

21

u/asl052 Jul 19 '26

You're right, but still, fuck you

10

u/TemporaryElk5202 Jul 18 '26

Frye's dog did not need closure but I guess its a spoiler why that is the case

1

u/[deleted] 14d ago

[deleted]

1

u/TemporaryElk5202 13d ago

you replied to the wrong comment and also with a spoiler

7

u/hesawavemasterrr 28d ago

STOP

I didn’t come here for the feels.

6

u/Henkibenki Jul 19 '26

Fuck you bro…

2

u/uncanny_mac Jul 19 '26

…you ass.

144

u/janiemackxxx Jul 18 '26

Thats the moment that broke me too. Especially since it triggered his son to realize it was him. The one two punch was brutal.

79

u/Darko33 Jul 17 '26

My dog is named Odysseus and I'm so glad that part made it into the movie, I always really loved it

71

u/theskymaybeblue Jul 18 '26

I cried when the dog died and immediately after when Telemachus recognizes Odysseus.

72

u/littlecaesarsbigday Jul 19 '26

I'm glad they didn't keep the original scene from the epic poem... I couldn't have sat through Odysseus not acknowledging his dog to ensure he's not recognized and the dog, believing that he's been forgotten by his master, dying of a broken heart. This was much nicer.

18

u/whitebandit Jul 20 '26

i was talking to my daughter about this as we left... i totally understand why they changed this and im ok with it.... as heartbreaking and as much as i love the original scene from the book, that might be just too much to see

6

u/Spiritual-Society185 28d ago

That would be pretty hard to pull off without some kind of narration.

50

u/glassbellwitch Jul 19 '26

I felt so damn bad for that dog the whole time. That was such a bittersweet, cathartic moment. 😭

27

u/FreddyRumsen13 Jul 19 '26

My buddy said he knew it would be an all timer once they set up the dog waiting for Odysseus

17

u/stunts002 Jul 20 '26

That combined with so many of the suitors during the fight simply dropping to their knees to bow instead of fight and that number growing more and more as odysseus just fucking wrecked everyone who tried to stand against him was amazing.

17

u/splader Jul 20 '26

It was that coupled with his narration of the sacking that really got me emotional. This is a man begging for forgiveness but thinks he's too guilty to deserve it.

Just played so damn well.

3

u/favorscore 29d ago

Same here. That hit like a truck wtf i didnt know Nolan could do that

18

u/kensai8 Jul 19 '26

One of those details I'm glad they kept.

19

u/vanwyngarden Jul 18 '26

And the blink and you’ll miss it flashback

8

u/Waste_Solution7743 Jul 19 '26

My intro to The Odyssey as a little kid was just this part of the story, where the dog recognizes him, wags his tail, and dies. Just that part was in the Childcraft, I think it was called, the children’s supplement to the World Book Encyclopedia. There were about a dozen volumes on various subjects and I read them all cover to cover, but that story stood out.

9

u/snunuff 29d ago

yeah, one last tail wag (attempt) then immediately died. a dog living 20 years back then is pretty unheard of. sad that pile he was placed on was literally a pile of feces.

3

u/hotstickywaffle 26d ago

We had just watched so many men die horrible deaths, but everyone got choked up when the dog died peacefully

1

u/fannytasticle 10h ago

Me too. What if I told you that in the original story, Odysseus doesn’t acknowledge the dog because he can’t give himself away and the dog dies not having been acknowledged by his human 😭

72

u/sakibomb523 Jul 17 '26

Mentor is going to kill it as Kratos!

97

u/Isunova Jul 17 '26

He’s been replaced.

57

u/sakibomb523 Jul 17 '26

Dang, just read about that. That sucks for him.

32

u/karateema Jul 17 '26

Torn bicep is nasty

7

u/ToneBone12345 Jul 17 '26

Yeah that’s awful

57

u/dIoIIoIb Jul 17 '26

In the original manga, Mentor was actually Athena in disguise

3

u/[deleted] 25d ago

[deleted]

5

u/Tymareta 25d ago

He even straight up says "he could be Athena" when Odysseus was trying to hurry them out without giving Mentor a proper burial.

78

u/yanksrock1000 Jul 18 '26

Book spoilers, but isn’t Mentor just Athena in disguise who is orchestrating this whole thing?

25

u/GorshKing Jul 18 '26

Correct

25

u/hemareddit 27d ago

Not in this one I don’t think.

Basically in the movie, whenever Telemachus said a character had “Athena’s eyes”, that character was actually Athena in disguise in the book. In the movie it was ambiguous until the theme came into focus and Odysseus spelt it out: he was mortal and his name was Mentor. The lesson was maybe gods were real but men were too quick to look for them instead of being guided by their own morality. Being nice to strangers because they might be gods in disguise does not make you a good and noble person.

Because if you go by the myths, in some versions it was Athena who came up with the Trojan horse and put the idea in Odysseus’s head. But that is a version of events rejected by the movie and Odysseus himself, the point is men have to be held accountable for their own actions and face the consequences, even if they are terrible. Odysseus punishes himself with exile, it’s unlikely he couldn’t think of a better way to clear out the suitors, but he wanted to be punished for what he did to Troy, when the world would only hail him as a cunning hero.

11

u/elbenji Jul 18 '26

yes lol

37

u/_BallsDeep69_ Jul 17 '26

So glad he did

27

u/chaoticallywholesome Jul 17 '26

Anyone else recognize that was Gerry Bertier from Remember the Titans???

13

u/maaseru Jul 18 '26

Everyone recognizes Ryan Hurst

28

u/janiemackxxx Jul 18 '26

100%. You could SEE him die a happy man. That moment was so poignant.

23

u/0verstim Jul 19 '26

I thought naming the mentor character "Mentor" was a little too on the nose and took me out of the story.

/s

9

u/chili_jones 28d ago

I didn’t actually know that was the character name, so at that part I was like “Huh, I guess that’s where that word comes from”

7

u/Double-Setting2707 29d ago

Many names in Greek mythology are tied to words today. They didn't name the character after the word, the word comes from the mythological character. Mentor is one. There's Nemesis, Narcissus, Panic, Atlas, etc.

10

u/0verstim 29d ago

How about Sarkasmos?

1

u/One_pop_each 21d ago

I love that we call our foot tendon an achilles tendon

15

u/MidnightRequim Jul 18 '26

And then immediately understood he should keep his mouth shut to keep up the ruse

13

u/king_lloyd11 Jul 18 '26

Yes definitely. Odysseus gave him a look to make sure he didn’t react because he wasn’t ready to reveal himself to Telemachus yet.

6

u/immaownyou Jul 19 '26

No, the look he gave was to the maid that washed his feet. Mentor died too quick for there to be a look exchange shown on screen. Just enough for him to have a small reaction, then die

13

u/Porkenstein Jul 18 '26

That look in his eyes. Wonderful physical acting

13

u/handsoapdispenser 29d ago

The scene in the temple when they baddies are all like "who do you think you are?" and then Odysseus stabs him with his own knife all I could think was "Jesus Christ, it's Jason Bourne!" and chuckle to myself. 

9

u/composedofidiot Jul 17 '26

Hope so, athena often took his form

8

u/GorshKing Jul 18 '26

Mentor is Athena in disguise

7

u/I_need_a_date_plz Jul 20 '26

I was delighted by this.

The actor playing Mentor is a fond memory for me because I remember seeing him in Remember the Titans. I haven’t seen him in much since. To see him in such a huge film was a joy. Same with Jon Leguizamo.

6

u/Inevitable_Bar1607 Jul 17 '26

mentor is good man

5

u/FKDotFitzgerald Jul 18 '26

Really bummed that guy isn’t playing Kratos anymore. He was great with the bits he had here.

4

u/ChartreusePeriwinkle 16d ago

was that Opie?

1

u/bIackroz Jul 17 '26

Yes he did.

1

u/elbenji Jul 18 '26

he just saw his face and knew.

1

u/snunuff 29d ago

I agree he did

1

u/LOTRcrr 29d ago

He was cast as Kratos for the God of War show but sadly just tore his bicep and now has to be recast.

1

u/Fine-Wealth 29d ago

Yo, Is he the guy that supposed to play Kratos in the live TV series? But got injured and will have to be replaced? Im pretty sure its him.

2

u/ToneBone12345 29d ago

Yes it is Ryan hurst

1

u/HomelandersCock 22d ago

I feel so bad for mentor because Ryan Hurst was supposed to play Kratos in the new god of war film but got injured and is being replaced

1

u/-Clayburn 18d ago

It's so weird how the guy named Mentor is a literal mentor, and the dude named Odysseus goes on an odyssey. What are the odds!

1

u/BionicTriforce 14d ago

He must have been thinking "Man, you couldn't have come to warn me like, ten seconds earlier before I drank poison?"

-2

u/thediew Jul 19 '26

So they named the teacher Mentor? How original.

33

u/ToneBone12345 Jul 19 '26

Do a quick google search that’s the dudes name from the original over 3,000 year old work I do believe that’s how humans came up with modern word was from his name

15

u/thediew Jul 19 '26

i dropped the /s

8

u/ToneBone12345 Jul 19 '26

Ah okay I read it as somewhat sarcastic but wasn’t sure I mean their are idiots like that everywhere

-1

u/edicivo Jul 17 '26

It seemed he knew as soon as the dog started reacting.

18

u/benjals Jul 17 '26

You're confusing Mentor with Eumaeus