The Odyssey: Christopher Nolan at the Top of His Craft

I'll say it plainly: The Odyssey may be the best film I've seen in a decade. I saw it twice in IMAX and would happily go back three or four more times.

A confession first. I'm not a Homer scholar, and I've never read The Odyssey beyond what most of us picked up in school. I'm also not someone who needs a period epic to be a perfect adaptation, as long as the film is great on its own terms. And on its own terms, this film is extraordinary.

Every department is operating at its peak. The sound design is enormous, the score carries real weight, and Hoyte van Hoytema's cinematography once again makes a case for him as one of the greatest cinematographers working today. Matt Damon's Odysseus is weathered, cunning, and deeply human.

Without spoiling anything, the homecoming is the payoff the whole film builds toward, and one moment with a bow had me leaning forward in my seat. The ending also leans into a classic, old-fashioned epic finish that surprised me in the best way.

This is exactly the kind of experience movie theaters exist for. See it as big as you can.