Matt Damon as Odysseus in The Odyssey and Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus in The Return Image by Nimesh Niyomal Perera By Jeffrey Harris Published Aug 18, 2026, 12:05 AM EDT Jeffrey is a freelance features writer at Collider. He is an MPA-accredited entertainment journalist and a Tomatometer-approved critic based in the LA area. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Radio, TV, & Film and a Bachelor of Arts in Theater.
on Google Preferred Source Google News Like Like follow Follow followed Followed Listen Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for The Odyssey and The Return.
Christopher Nolan's new Homeric epic, The Odyssey , has emerged as a critical and box office smash. Thanks to its success, other Odyssey stories are rising in the streaming charts, too. One such movie is The Return , another retelling of Homer's epic poem that's been surging up the charts of Just Watch . Starring Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus, The Return boasts an impressive cast and a fresh take on the original story's ending. If you loved Nolan's fantasy adventure epic, here's why The Return should be your next watch.
Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus in The Return Image via Bleecker Street Although Christopher Nolan's version of The Odyssey adapts a more robust version of Homer's poem, The Return takes an alternative approach to the source material . John Collee , Edward Bond , and director Uberto Pasolini's script focuses entirely on Odysseus' return home and the retaking of his kingdom. The movie begins with a haggard and exhausted Odysseus waking up on the shores of his homeland of Ithaca , only to find it in ruins and at the mercy of dastardly suitors who exploit Queen Penelope's ( Juliette Binoche ) hospitality, as they attempt to take her hand in marriage and become the new king. Disguising himself as a beggar, Odysseus observes the situation and tries to find the strength to retake his homeland. However, he’s still mentally traumatized by the horrors of the Trojan War.
As The Return and The Odyssey adapt the same source material, viewers can recognize similar scenes in both versions , taken from Homer's poem, and it's interesting to see how the movies interpret those moments differently . For example, in both movies, Odysseus’ hunting dog Argos recognizes his old master Odysseus outside the royal palace before passing away from old age. The scene of the servant, Eurycleia, recognizing the scar on Odysseus' leg while washing him also appears in both movies. However, since The Return's entire narrative focuses on Odysseus' return to Ithaca, it takes a slow-burn style, rather than the more ramped-up pacing of Nolan's version .
Ralph Fiennes in The Return Image via Bleecker Street Photo by Jefferson Chacon Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus in The Return (2024) Image via Bleecker Street Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus in The Return Image via Bleeker Street Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus in 'The Return' Image via Bleecker Street Close Ralph Fiennes in The Return Image via Bleecker Street Photo by Jefferson Chacon Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus in The Return (2024) Image via Bleecker Street Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus in The Return Image via Bleeker Street Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus in 'The Return' Image via Bleecker Street While watching both The Return and Nolan's The Odyssey , one can easily…