Image source, Universal Studios Image caption, Matt Damon and Zendaya star in The Odyssey - Christopher Nolan's first film since Oppenheimer
The Odyssey, the latest film from Oscar-winning director Sir Christopher Nolan, has received rapturous reviews from critics.
The film, adapted from Homer's epic ancient Greek poem, is Nolan's first since 2023's Oppenheimer, which won the Academy Award for best picture.
The Telegraph described The Odyssey as the "film of the year", while Metro declared that the movie would "change cinema forever".
The Times, meanwhile, described it as "a masterpiece in every way", and the Standard praised the film as a "colossal piece of cinema".
The Odyssey, which will be released in the UK on Friday, stars Matt Damon, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong'o.
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It follows Odysseus (Damon), the Greek king of Ithaca, on his long and perilous journey home from the Trojan War to rescue his wife and son (Hathaway and Holland).
His fantastical journey sees him encounter mythical beings along the way. Meanwhile, the cruel antagonist Antinous has his eyes fixed on the queen while her husband is still away.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, The film's cast gathered in London's Leicester Square for its world premiere last week
Variety's Guy Lodge said, external: "A genuinely grand, gutsy vision, The Odyssey thrills generously for the bulk of its near three-hour running time.
"Every few minutes, it seems, it throws at its audience another mighty setpiece that, in almost any other summer studio spectacle, would be a climactic standout."
There was further praise for the "staggering" set pieces from the Standard's Nick Howells, external, who said The Odyssey was a "far more astonishing experience" than Oppenheimer.
In a five-star review, Metro's Tori Brazier said, external The Odyssey was "a watershed moment for filmmaking".
"It's somehow both the most Nolan-esque film I've seen, while being nothing like Oppenheimer, Inception or anything he's previously made," she said.
The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney cautioned, external that the film was somewhat "uneven", but praised the ensemble cast.
"Damon is superb, going to dark places seldom if ever explored in his previous roles," he said. "Hathaway is a model of steely self-possession masking vulnerability; Pattinson bites into his character's villainy with gusto."
Another critic, Deadline's Gregory Nussen, external, singled out Spider-Man star Holland.
"His performance certainly seems tinged with the courageous naivety of Spider-Man, insisting on trying to influence those much more cunning and physically capable than he," he wrote.
"Holland may be playing a child, but his performance is bursting with a newfound maturity. It is his strongest one to date."
Image source, Universal Studios Image caption, Spider-Man star Tom Holland was praised for his "mature" performance
Although there were hardly any negative reviews, some critics said they had difficulty hearing, external the film's dialogue in places.
This is frequent complaint with Nolan films, external because of his tendency to only use audio that was…