Christopher Nolan's much-awaited epic The Odyssey has made a strong first impression following its world premiere in London on July 6. Soon after the premiere, critics and industry insiders took to X to share their first reactions, with many calling it a visually stunning and emotionally powerful cinematic experience.
Here are some of the first reactions from X:
Early reactions have described The Odyssey as "an incredible visual epic," and "an absolute triumph." Viewers praised Nolan's breathtaking IMAX visuals, large-scale action and practical filmmaking, while Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland and Himesh Patel earned special praise for their performances.
Im still thinking about Christopher Nolan's THE ODYSSEY, but I absolutely loved it & it's one of the best films of the year. Powerhouse performances esp from Matt, Anne & Tom! Charlize & Zendaya!???? It's brutal, emotional, romantic & the @IMAX shots are stunning. @odysseymovie pic.twitter.com/o4S8lsPqFS
— Lauren Veneziani (@DCfilmgirl) July 6, 2026
THE ODYSSEY is an incredible visual epic with some thrilling action set pieces & moments when Christopher Nolan leans into horror in such a cool way!
— Jacob (@JacobFisherDF) July 6, 2026
All of the cast are on their A game in this film but Tom Holland and Himesh Patel stood out as surprise favorites to me. pic.twitter.com/UazMElthCX
Christopher Nolan's #TheOdyssey is an absolute triumph and a crowning cinematic achievement from one of the great filmmakers of our time. It feels like everything Nolan has been working toward with IMAX has culminated here. The production design is incredible, the action is… pic.twitter.com/yLxocUEEdn
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) July 6, 2026
Christopher Nolan's adaptation of THE ODYSSEY is as epic as movies get with some of the most breathtaking set pieces he's ever attempted. A colossal achievement of scale, even by Nolan's standards, its commitment to capturing as much as possible in-camera using new IMAX cameras… pic.twitter.com/UOOHd6lkbT
— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) July 6, 2026
Meanwhile, other X users described The Odyssey as "Christopher Nolan at his absolute best" and "MONUMENTAL." Many praised the film's emotional storytelling, heart-pounding tension and ambitious retelling of Homer's epic.
#TheOdyssey is Christopher Nolan at his absolute best. Incredibly engaging and immediately investing, it brought me to tears and had my heart pumping from the tension throughout. Whether it's the intimacy of the story and incredible performances or (1/2) pic.twitter.com/ZCCJf9yNIZ
— All About Movies (@JeremyChopra) July 6, 2026
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is MONUMENTAL on so many levels. Yes, it really does attempt to condense nearly all of Homer inside of 3 hours. But it also tackles with more heart than any Nolan film since Interstellar his greatest muse... 1/3
— David Crow (@DCrowsNest) July 6, 2026
Christopher Nolan somehow keeps raising the bar. THE ODYSSEY is one of the biggest, most epic movies I've ever seen. It's got massive battles, incredible IMAX visuals, and feels like a true myth brought to life, but underneath all of that it's really about one man trying to get… pic.twitter.com/FZmBCuQV3Y
— Will-iam Smith (@bestever23) July 6, 2026
Another early reaction called the film "a filmmaking feast," praising Nolan's unique take on Homer's classic, its expansive world-building and breathtaking battle sequences.
Christopher Nolan somehow keeps raising the bar. THE ODYSSEY is one of the biggest, most epic movies I've ever seen. It's got massive battles, incredible IMAX visuals, and feels like a true myth brought to life, but underneath all of that it's really about one man trying to get… pic.twitter.com/FZmBCuQV3Y
— Will-iam Smith (@bestever23) July 6, 2026
THE ODYSSEY is a filmmaking feast. A grand and gripping rendition of Homer's epic, and one that feels uniquely Christopher Nolan. It's sincerely hard to imagine any other filmmaker on the planet being able to bring that source material to screen with this much scale, scope and… pic.twitter.com/7jOO5Ch9ZZ
— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) July 6, 2026
Christopher Nolan's ‘The Odyssey' is INCREDIBLE.
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) July 6, 2026
I'm really blown away by this film. Everything from the flawless performances to the way Nolan embraces the supernatural is just perfect.
If you can, SEE IT IN @IMAX 70mm. It's a jaw dropping experience.
It'll be great… pic.twitter.com/UXEAjF8cKk
I have seen Christopher Nolan's #TheOdyssey, and it is an astonishing achievement. A triumphant, spectacular epic. The performances from Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, John Leguizamo, Robert Pattinson and Lupita Nyong'o are genuinely grand. And for some, truly, the best… pic.twitter.com/IRXI6RVtr3
— Jazz Tangcay (@jazzt) July 6, 2026
I'm not an influencer, just a humble interviewer. I'll say this about The Odyssey: It's an astonishing spectacle and a brilliant, subversive adaptation. The scale was a given, but Nolan's psychological interrogation of events was what satisfied me most. A bracingly modern take.
— Tom Page (@thomas_page) July 6, 2026
Christopher Nolan is a visionary, and #TheOdyssey is a work of art. Adapting a Homer classic is not easy, but he has done an incredible job of bringing this to the big screen and telling Odysseus's journey. He has outdone himself. You could feel the passion in his storytelling.… pic.twitter.com/Lkn0F7jYMH
— Jazz Tangcay (@jazzt) July 6, 2026
Several critics were equally impressed by the film's technical brilliance, praising its immersive IMAX presentation, supernatural elements and the ensemble cast, with many recommending it be experienced on the biggest screen possible.
A sensational experience tonight seeing The Odyssey at the world premiere on 70mm IMAX, with pretty much the entire cast (plus Laurence Fishburne!) watching it at the same time.
— Nick de Semlyen (@NickdeSemlyen) July 6, 2026
My second go round and even more satisfying this time around. This is rich, propulsive, deeply… pic.twitter.com/JXhhjHgueX
Oscar-winner CHRISTOPHER NOLAN has another massive hit on his hands with “THE ODYSSEY,” a stunning, exhilarating, fully-immersive & breathtaking epic in every sense of the word! Bravura filmmaking of the tallest order — It's a whole lotta movie & ya gotta see it in @IMAX! pic.twitter.com/OTTc7H6WaY
— Scott Mantz ???? (@MovieMantz) July 6, 2026
THE ODYSSEY: Visceral cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema that plunges you into the depths of the sea and the epic. Ludwig Göransson seals it with a primitive, brutal score. Pure immersion. pic.twitter.com/wowya7O1il
— Jairo Jiménez (@jairojimenez_) July 6, 2026
THE ODYSSEY is staggering. Earthy, ghostly, weighty, touched by humor and grandeur alike. It's pure cinema. Obviously the story is about returning home, but in a larger sense, this is also a return home to the robustly entertaining action movies that cinema was invented to tell.
— Joshua Rothkopf (@joshrothkopf) July 6, 2026
Christopher Nolan is a visionary, and #TheOdyssey is a work of art. Adapting a Homer classic is not easy, but he has done an incredible job of bringing this to the big screen and telling Odysseus's journey. He has outdone himself. You could feel the passion in his storytelling.… pic.twitter.com/Lkn0F7jYMH
— Jazz Tangcay (@jazzt) July 6, 2026
#TheOdyssey is an epic tale of unmeasurable scope, grounded by Odysseus' quest for meaning on his arduous journey. Got chills multiple times, the sound literally shook the cinema. The music rocks, it's exhilarating and looks STUNNING & Robert Pattinson KILLS IT. The ending tho ???? pic.twitter.com/YJlfArd32a
— Ben Rolph (@TheDCTVshow) July 6, 2026
#TheOdyssey is an epic tale of unmeasurable scope, grounded by Odysseus' quest for meaning on his arduous journey. Got chills multiple times, the sound literally shook the cinema. The music rocks, it's exhilarating and looks STUNNING & Robert Pattinson KILLS IT. The ending tho ???? pic.twitter.com/YJlfArd32a
— Ben Rolph (@TheDCTVshow) July 6, 2026
THE ODYSSEY is truly an incredible movie! Moving, gorgeous, epic, but more than anything, truly resonant for our day and age. Nolan's film really captures how timeless the tale is and how worth revisiting; how powerfully it can comment on today. #TheOdyssey pic.twitter.com/bXOtb9U74K
— Rotem (Ro) Rusak (@Moondancer1626) July 6, 2026
About The Odyssey
Based on Homer's legendary Greek epic, The Odyssey follows the journey of Odysseus after the Trojan War. The film features a star-studded ensemble including Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong'o, Jon Bernthal, Himesh Patel and several others. Produced by Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas under Syncopy, it is the first feature film to be shot entirely with IMAX cameras.
Distributed by Universal Pictures, The Odyssey will release in theatres worldwide on July 17 in IMAX and other premium large formats. The film will also mark Nolan's first official India premiere, with Mumbai included in the global premiere tour, while advance IMAX bookings are already open across India.
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