by Brett Manero
Without a doubt, the biggest film of the summer of 2027 is The Odyssey, directed by the brilliant Christopher Nolan and starring Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway, among many others. Based on Homer’s classic tale of the Greek king who is trying to return to his homeland after years of war and drifting, this movie is nothing less than a masterpiece.
I saw The Odyssey on a small screen in Arkansas, as I was there for about ten days in July. I had read a version of the classic story in the sixth grade, so I was familiar enough with the story to understand the background. I know there was and is controversy with the film, but as always, Catholics can look at what is good, true, and beautiful in anything, and can hold on to that.
There are certain movies which simply amaze you when you see them in the theater. For me, one of those was The Dark Knight, another Nolan masterpiece that was released just after my college graduation in 2008. The Odyssey is another. Nolan apparently told Matt Damon that the production experience would be nothing like anything he had experienced before, and Damon admitted that Nolan was correct on this one.
Some have criticized Damon for being a wrong casting choice. Some have argued that he is not “masculine” enough for the role, that it belongs to someone with the look of Russell Crowe in Gladiator. But I disagree. Firstly, anyone would be amazed at how in-shape Damon got for the role at the age of fifty-five. Secondly, even if Damon does not appear as “tough” as Maximus in Gladiator, this greatly aids his character. He is relatable, familiar to all of us. His perceived weaknesses represent the weaknesses in all of us. Damon continues to have an impressive acting career because of his everyman appeal. He was the perfect casting choice.
But the greatest performance undoubtedly goes to John Leguizamo, whose gentle and powerful portrayal of Eumaeus stole the show. Eumaeus is a moving reminder that people are fundamentally good. As he navigates the corrupt royal court, full of insidious suitors in the absence of the true king, his kindness and loyalty inspire viewers to hold on to all that is good, because good will win in the end.
The best part of this film was the undeniable Christian imagery. Homer lived before the time of Christ and the advent of Christianity, but the Greeks were undoubtably endowed with wisdom and a sense of morality, the “pre-Gospel,” so to speak. One can’t help but be moved by the scene of Odysseus, sitting before his wife with a screen between them, lamenting his sins and crimes of war during his conquest of Troy. I don’t know if Nolan intended for this to be an image of Confession, but it certainly came across that way. Odysseus, before he reveals his true identity to his wife – whom he hasn’t seen in twenty years – first must be liberated from his sense of guilt over crimes committed. The film flashes back to some of the most intense battle scenes ever put to film: Odysseus and his soldiers infiltrating Troy, setting the fire to the city, killing innocent civilians. Odysseus allowed his troops to commit these crimes, and yet we see his humanity in his confession: a man regretting his actions and throwing himself into the hope of mercy. If that’s not Christian imagery, I don’t know what is.
The Odyssey is a movie for the ages. The best picture of 2026, in my opinion.
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