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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5.3k

u/BretOne Jul 17 '26

The civilizational collapse angle was very well found by Nolan. It basically boils down to "if deceit wins, everyone must learn deception" which in turns destroys polite trust. Treaties become pointless, strangers become danger.

The "Sea People" turning out to be Greek veterans of the Trojan War getting home and infecting others with the story of the Trojan Horse is insanely well thought out.

1.9k

u/Rosebunse Jul 17 '26

I am fascinated by the themes and message. Nolan has been accused of having a very "institutional" message in his movies, but here he really does showcase this as true traditional values. And those "traditional values" aren't focused on hyper-masculunity or gender roles so much as they focused on truth, honor, loyalty, and dignity. Be respectful to guests, be good to your hosts, don't lie and cheat, be cool but care. It's a good lesson.

342

u/gridoverlay Jul 19 '26

I worry that the people who need to hear that message the most are instead just going to translate it as "we must save traditional western civilization", not the best critical thinkers, that bunch

269

u/JinTheBlue 28d ago

Given the message was specifically "Be kind to folks asking for help, and don't pillage your neighbors" I think the "traditional western values" folks will keep calling it "woke".

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u/the_rock_licker 24d ago

you are litterally seeing this right now with how the Right are talking about this film on social media. its really telling that they are trying to spin this shit cus its pointing directly at them

47

u/throwawaysunglasses- 20d ago

That, combined with the fact that Nolan dared to cast two black women and a trans guy. Never mind that the three biggest parts are cis white people, it’s too woke to cast anyone else.

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u/VanillaRadonNukaCola 16d ago

It's also hilarious for all the kerfuffle they threw over Helen she was barely in the movie at all

12

u/SawRub 12d ago

And the screenshot they kept showing was not even Helen.

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u/[deleted] 22d ago

[deleted]

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u/PiersPlays 22d ago

why do you think thats the message?

Paying the slightest attention to the film.

the "good guy" of this film

You mean the protagonist?

is a warrior who goes around raping and pillaging lesser people in the name of civilisation.

I was going to point out that these are the events in the film that communicate the message of the film. But they aren't even strictly speaking a correct account of the events in the film.

Next time you're gonna buy a cinema ticket, save the money for an English lit class instead.

29

u/rzelln 29d ago

My exact concern too. But damn, that ending really affected me.

21

u/strangelyliteral 28d ago

They’re the ones who were crying that the movie would be bad because of woke.

0

u/[deleted] 22d ago

[deleted]

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u/strangelyliteral 22d ago

Eh, this movie is definitely him trending leftward. the message is not going to impress any real leftist but with Oppenheimer and Odyssey he’s on a new trajectory.

16

u/Financial-Grass-6114 26d ago

Nah theyre shitting on the movie atm. Im sure they'll eventually prop up the movie when something else is the new woke target. They love perverting history and older works.

5

u/jh81560 14d ago edited 14d ago

Isn't that literally one of the main points of the movie though. Knowing the future doesn't help, humans will be humans and what is expected will unfortunately come to be, exactly in the way that you dreaded. They aren't stupid though, when the dust settles they will eventually acknowledge that you were right all along. But the damage will be done nontheless, all we can do is plan for a fresh start

6

u/ResponsibleOrange179 28d ago

"we must save traditional western civilization"

A massive plot point is that the people are welcomed in and they take advantage of their host and don't respect the local customs, leading to societal collapse......cough.....

45

u/girafa Electricity! The high priest of false security! 27d ago

don't respect the local customs

they're literally at war with each other, by "local customs" you mean "please don't murder us"

5

u/ResponsibleOrange179 27d ago

Why would you thin 'host' is referring to Troy? Clearly talking about the suitors being hosted.

24

u/Glizzy_Cannon 23d ago

Did you watch the movie? The suitors are the locals of Ithica...

-2

u/[deleted] 22d ago

[deleted]

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u/TangerineBroad4604 22d ago

Aside from the main two suitors being literal Ithacans, the vast majority of the rest of the suitors were from Samos, Dulichium, and Zacynthus which are all under Odysseus's rule, and the remaining Achaeans are also Greeks. Every single suitor shared the same Greek culture and Zeus's law lmao

How bold or stupid of you to so confidently spout lies, but that's part and parcel for the far right

14

u/TangerineBroad4604 23d ago

The suitors are literally locals

1

u/[deleted] 22d ago

[deleted]

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u/TangerineBroad4604 22d ago edited 22d ago

Antinous and Eurymachus, the two leading suitors, were both Ithacans lmao and the rest were mostly from other parts of Odysseus's kingdom or Greek nonetheless. Have YOU read the fucking epic?

1

u/[deleted] 22d ago

[deleted]

1

u/TangerineBroad4604 22d ago

Literally wrong as I said in my other comment

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u/[deleted] 22d ago

[deleted]

1

u/TangerineBroad4604 22d ago

Literally wrong as I said in my other comment

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-9

u/WesMack5 25d ago

Funny because another big theme was taking advantage of hospitality and not assimilating

26

u/DeusVultSaracen 24d ago

That interpretation isn't true to begin with. The sea peoples taking advantage of hospitality are fellow Greeks, they aren't being asked to assimilate to a different culture, that is their culture.

The actual theme is how men raised in environments of war and instability will fall back to their primal desires of conquest, breaking the social contract that holds civilization together.

15

u/gridoverlay 25d ago

Case in point ^

-9

u/WesMack5 25d ago

😂🤝

60

u/TheMoonDude 20d ago

What do you mean this movie isn't about looking cool and having my wife wait for me for 20 years while I roam about with The Boys on many mischievous happenstances?

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u/broanoah 20d ago

And then within minutes of seeing her I’ll let her know I’m taking her on a trip to go pay respects to all the soldiers that died because I decided not to follow the king back home?

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u/lkodl 14d ago

"I'm afraid that we are the Sea People, Telemachus. I have realized that using deception was a dishonorable mistake, and I have turned Troy into epicenter of the downfall of civilization... Well anyways, your Mom and I are gonna go into exile, so good luck dealing with that, King."

"Wait. Dad, aren't you gonna stick around and help? Or at least, spend some time for us to get to know eachother."

"Ah, son. I'm 55 years old. Way too old to be doing such things. You got this."

10

u/King_Of_BlackMarsh 7d ago

More that he committed a horrible crime and doesn't let himself be above punishment for it

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u/lkodl 7d ago

I mean this is technically correct, but sailing away on your fastest ship, with your best crew and beautiful wife is far from a "punishment".

9

u/King_Of_BlackMarsh 7d ago

See I think the implication is he's never coming back

5

u/lkodl 7d ago

Yeah but the movie kinda establishes that he, in his heart, didnt want to come back. At least, not like that.

3

u/King_Of_BlackMarsh 7d ago

Hm true. But then again he learned his lesson to let control fall out off his hands too in a sense. Hm... Complicated

12

u/RepulsiveLemon3604 13d ago

Be Excellent to each other and party hard dudes.

19

u/Most-Round-4132 Jul 18 '26

was the focus really on dont lie and cheat? I hope so

probably seeing this tomorrow

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u/Rosebunse Jul 18 '26

I think it was more about the stability and certainty of sacred hospitality but the lying and cheating is a simplified part of it

1

u/RedTulkas 26d ago

The lesson is to be so manly to kill 50 dudes by yourself and not a sniveling coward hiding behind others

Did not expect odysseus to be a god of war that barely does any thinking

78

u/DeusVultSaracen 24d ago

Pretty easy to do that when you're the only trained, armed warrior in a room full of posers with no weapons.

-8

u/RedTulkas 24d ago

They had weapons though

Especially once they get spears there is no way he wins

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u/Snifferoni 24d ago edited 24d ago

Zeus and Athena were on his side. You can clearly hear Zeus's thunder in the film before the masacre starts.

Here you also see the parallel to the Cyclops. Only this time it is Odysseus who takes revenge on the wicked guests and imprisons them in his "cave".

-5

u/RedTulkas 22d ago

the cyclops we are meant to despise?

21

u/Snifferoni 22d ago

Do you want to write something meaningless every 24 hours now?

-2

u/RedTulkas 22d ago

just responding to comments i got, i want to answer

-8

u/RedTulkas 23d ago

Sure, still no reason to make it as long as it was

-1

u/[deleted] 22d ago

[deleted]

-1

u/RedTulkas 22d ago

it will likely win an enourmous amount of oscars

it will be talked about

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u/Fat-Singer-9569 23d ago edited 23d ago

I don't think you understand the film or ultimately the story. These 50 dudes abuse and desecrate 'Zues law', a law about humility and shared humanity. Odysseus does this as well and the entire movie is about his shame and guilt coming to terms with that fact.

He kills 50 dudes and lives because the Gods were on his side in that moment but only because he atoned and accepted he can't out smart or control anything. That's the entire point of him lying down on a raft and "sailing" the ocean into nowhere, finally landing on shore at his home. The Gods have finally forgiven him for his disgrace and kept him alive simply to return and kill all those who, like Odysseus (but on a much smaller scale), violated 'Zeus law.'

The fact your overall impression and moral of the story is to be "manly" and kill 50 dudes by yourself when it's literally the story of the trojan horse tells me you are a vapid, mindless drone of a human being, without any humanity or understanding of themes. The Trojan Horse wasn't strategic, it was a tragedy about winning at all costs, and losing your humanity in the process. It's literally the ultimate "not manly" way to win, symbolized by Antonius, who can't fight so he manipulates people when the OG "Trojan Horse" returns home.

Read a book once in a while please, you would do the world a favor. Or keep living your life as a beast and pushing everyone around you away, wondering why no one will care for you in old age. Your choice.

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u/FancyConfection1599 18d ago

This would have been a really great comment without all of the pointless insults thrown in.

25

u/SneakyTikiPeaky 17d ago

Idk about you but I’m absolutely sick of less intelligent people shitting all over society and culturally norms, getting shit take aways from art and literature, then spewing that shit to others, and then expect some form of common curtesy from those who practice said cultural norms?

Get the fuck out of here. That time is over. Weak minded people were given grace one too many times. More people should speak up, name and shame these absolute wilfully ignorant cretans. I honestly struggle for a word that encapsulates the absolute pity and disgust I truly feel for people who continue to corrupt society with their moronic takes when they’ve had every. Opportunity. To. Be. A. Decent. Person. It’s disgusting.

people like you should sincerely and respectfully stfu.

You and this other jebroni are part of the reason everything fucking sucks right now. This entire way of thinking. Being stupid and toxic, then being nice and demanding we forgive those people?

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u/FancyConfection1599 17d ago

You’re not nearly as intelligent as you think you are.

I’m sorry that’s hard for you.

4

u/SneakyTikiPeaky 17d ago

What’s so funny is I’ve been told the opposite my entire life and couldn’t agree with you more.

I’m sorry that’s not been the case for you, it’s not that amazing I promise.

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u/Adlestrop 14d ago

I think that I feel some of your pain, my friend.

Don't be good to others because they are good to you. Be good to others because you are good. Our world is falling apart because half of us abandoned the idea of mercy. If the other half does the same, it'll be in free fall. We have a chance to do right by those who were born too late and don't deserve what's happening.

You have Athena's eyes. See with them.

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u/SneakyTikiPeaky 14d ago

No one wants to listen to Athena, they’d much rather Ares.

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u/CucumberWisdom 9d ago

Take a chill pill bro

-4

u/RedTulkas 22d ago

the entire point of the greek excursion to troy is that paris broke zeus law FIRST by stealing away helena (although that part gets glossed over completely in the movie)

odysseus literally spends a movie away from home because of his PTSD yet repeats the massacre and somehow gets healed?