The countdown to The Odyssey is nearly over. Trojan Horse popcorn buckets are being prepared. Ludwig Göransson’s lyre and aulos are all tuned up. And everyone is talking about aspect ratios, film formats, and the discerning cinephile’s holy grail that is IMAX 70mm. It can only mean one thing: Christopher Nolan is about to deliver a mythic epic for the ages.
Before we join Matt Damon’s Odysseus on his long journey home to Ithaca, however, there are several films that can whet your Homeric appetite. To wit, Empire has gathered three great Odyssey movie adaptations (and, in one case, a particularly relevant Odyssey-adjacent recommendation) to get you in the mood for the summer’s biggest blockbuster.
And so, formalities dispensed with, here are three movies to check out as you gear up for The Odyssey, sailing into cinemas on July 17.
The Return (2024)
Director: Uberto Pasolini | Runtime: 1hr 56m | Rent/Buy: Amazon, Sky, Apple TV
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Charlie Plummer
Uberto Pasolini’s The Return may have flown somewhat under the radar upon release, but if you’re after a character-driven, Gods-light take on Homer’s epic before heading into Nolan’s Odyssey then look no further. Moving beyond Cyclopes, Sirens, and Circe to tell a tale with feet firmly planted upon terra firma, Pasolini’s film focuses on Odysseus’ return to Ithaca after twenty years abroad — and on the trials that await him there as he sees what’s become of his beloved wife and kingdom. Ralph Fiennes is sensational as a grizzled, PTSD-stricken Odysseus, while Juliette Binoche is a figure of grief and stoic grace as Penelope. And when the two finally come together for the legendary bow-and-axes finally, the pay-off to the film’s previously patient, slow build is quite tremendous. If you want to get into the headspace of The Odyssey’s hero before locking in for Nolan’s film, then this is your go-to. JK
O Brother, Where Art Thou (2000)
Directors: Joel & Ethan Coen | Runtime: 1hr 47m | Rent/Buy: Apple TV
Starring: George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter
If swords and sandals aren’t your thing, then the Coen Brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? might be the adaptation you’re looking for (yes, we are being serious). Swapping Ithaca for rural Mississippi, the Coens’ loose adaptation of Homer’s text sees the Soggy Bottom Boys (including George Clooney on top form) break free from their chain gang in search of buried treasure, encountering all sorts of Southern oddballs along the way. Each fills in for a character from the original text, and fear not, the Cyclops even makes an appearance, reimagined as a one-eyed Bible salesman. The Coens’ take on Homer is one of their quintessential comedies and perfect for anyone looking for a different flavour of the iconic journey. HS
Troy (2004)
Director: Wolfgang Peterson | Runtime: 2hrs 43m | Streaming on: HBO Max, Now TV
Starring: Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, Eric Bana, Brian Cox, Sean Bean, Brendan Gleason, Diane Kruger
Fine, hands up: this technically isn’t an adaptation of The Odyssey. But Wolfgang Petersen’s 2004 swords-and-sandals epic – firmly part of the post-Gladiator boom for the genre – is an adaptation(ish) of The Iliad; think Homer’s official Odyssey prequel. Its central figure is Brad Pitt’s Achilles, the Greek warrior who battles his way through the Trojan War – alongside Odysseus, here played by Sean Bean. They even do the whole Trojan Horse bit, which is where Nolan’s The Odyssey begins, preceding the narrative of Homer’s poem with some city-raiding action. It might not be a tonal match for Nolan’s film, but Troy will give you a sense of the story behind the story. BT
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Finished watching these mythic epics? Why not check out The 59 Best Movies Streaming On Netflix UK? Or our guide to what to watch on Disney+? Or why not go all in and start your own Odyssean journey through Empire’s 100 Greatest Movies Of All Time? Now that really would be an undertaking of godly proportions…
