Christopher Nolan takes on one of the oldest adventure stories in Western literature and gives it the full giant-screen treatment. The Odyssey sends Matt Damon across hostile seas, mythical islands and several deeply inconvenient encounters with the gods on a 173-minute journey home.
Film details
- Title: The Odyssey
- Premiere date in the Netherlands: 16 July 2026
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Runtime: 173 minutes
- Genre: Adventure, action, fantasy, drama
- Countries: United States, United Kingdom
- Language: English
- Subtitles: Dutch
- Age rating: 16+
- Cast: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya and Charlize Theron
- Watch in 70mm: The Odyssey at KINO
- Regular KINO screenings: The Odyssey at KINO
- Other Rotterdam cinemas: Cinerama and LantarenVenster
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What’s the vibe?
After the Trojan War, the Greek king Odysseus begins the long journey home to Ithaca. His wife Penelope and son Telemachus are waiting, but the route back involves furious seas, seductive distractions, mythical creatures and gods who appear to have far too much time for personal grudges.
Christopher Nolan approaches Homer’s ancient poem as a large-scale action epic, combining physical locations, practical filmmaking and a cast so crowded with famous faces that other productions may have struggled to find actors that year.
Matt Damon plays Odysseus, while Tom Holland appears as Telemachus and Anne Hathaway plays Penelope. Robert Pattinson takes on the villainous Antinous, with Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya and Charlize Theron occupying other key corners of the myth.
The mood appears grand, physical and surprisingly unsettling. Early reactions suggest that Nolan has leaned into the story’s darker and stranger elements, treating its monsters and supernatural trials with more horror than polite classical-pageant energy.
Trailer
Check out the trailer below.
Why you might like it
- Eyes: Ships, storms, monsters, ancient battlefields and a film captured entirely with large-format IMAX film cameras.
- Heart: Beneath the spectacle is a story about war, separation and one man’s increasingly difficult attempt to return to his family.
- Mind: Homer’s story raises questions about pride, leadership, loyalty and whether a hero can truly return home unchanged.
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Critical reception
The full critical picture was still developing at the time of writing. Rotten Tomatoes listed only one published review and therefore did not yet offer a meaningful aggregate score. Metacritic had also not calculated a Metascore.
Early reactions following the London premiere were overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Critics and awards commentators praised the film’s scale, production design, action sequences and use of large-format photography. Several called it a major technical achievement, even by Nolan’s standards.
Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland received strong early notices, while Robert Pattinson was repeatedly singled out for his performance as Antinous. Some commentators have already placed the film in the Best Picture conversation, with Damon mentioned as a potential Best Actor contender.
There are a few notes of caution amid the excitement. IndieWire critic David Ehrlich described parts of the film as clunky, though he said the final act rewards the journey. One early Rotten Tomatoes review was more restrained, praising the sound design while finding the wider film merely good rather than extraordinary.
No major competitive film awards have been presented yet. The Odyssey did receive the Most Anticipated Film prize at the Astra Midseason Movie Awards, which is recognition of the pre-release excitement rather than a judgement on the finished film.
Scene to watch for
Keep an eye on the moment when Odysseus’s difficult voyage crosses fully into mythic horror. The early response suggests that Nolan does not treat the creatures as decorative fantasy attractions. They are threats, and some encounters are reportedly far more unnerving than the film’s heroic poster might suggest.
The Cyclops sequence is an obvious one to anticipate. It is among the poem’s most famous episodes and offers Nolan the perfect opportunity to combine practical scale, suspense and one very large reason to regret entering a cave.
Recommended pairing
Start with a Greek-inspired meal built around grilled vegetables, flatbread, olives and something with plenty of herbs. A substantial meal is wise because the film runs for nearly three hours, and Odysseus is unlikely to pause his journey so you can find a snack.
Afterwards, take a slow walk by the water. It provides the correct mythic atmosphere while letting your legs remember that they still exist after 173 minutes in a cinema seat.
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Need-to-knows
The Odyssey was shot entirely using IMAX film cameras, making it a major technical undertaking even by Nolan’s standards. The production travelled across several countries and relied heavily on physical locations, sets and practical effects.
KINO offers two separate ways to see the film. Its special presentation screens on 70mm film in the cinema’s largest auditorium, while its regular listing covers the other screenings. KINO’s 70mm presentation should not be confused with IMAX 70mm projection, but it still offers the texture and scale of a physical film print.
The Rotterdampas is not valid for KINO’s 70mm screenings. KINO is also marking the release with a Greek-inspired smashburger, including a vegetarian version, and a themed wheat beer.
LantarenVenster screens The Odyssey in English with Dutch subtitles from 16 July. Its opening-day programme includes screenings at 14:00, 15:30, 19:00 and 19:45, with standard tickets listed at €14.50. LantarenVenster is also presenting No Gods, No Glory, a supporting programme about Greek mythology in cinema. The series begins with a film lecture and a screening of Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Medea on 22 July.
Cinerama lists The Odyssey as a 2D presentation in English with Dutch subtitles. It does not provide the special 70mm presentation available at KINO.
The Dutch age rating is 16, with warnings for violence and coarse language. Between the war, monsters, dangerous gods and ten years of maritime inconvenience, a gentle family outing this is not.
