Written by Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey finally set sail in theaters on July 17, 2026, and it has been a monster of a debut. The star-studded retelling of Homer’s Greek epic earned some of the best reviews of Nolan’s career, sitting at a stellar 95% critics’ score and 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, as of July 19, 2026. It’s also the first feature ever shot entirely on IMAX film cameras.
Reviewers have hailed it as another Nolan masterpiece and one of the best films of the year. Joshua Ryan of FW gave a score of 9 and called it a colossal epic in our review of The Odyssey. The numbers back up the hype. The R-rated epic pulled in roughly $51 million on its opening day and is heading toward a $120 million-plus domestic weekend (via Variety).
The Odyssey (2026)DetailsDirected & Written ByChristopher NolanBased onOdyssey by HomerCastMatt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, and Charlize TheronDistributed byUniversal PicturesRT Score (As of July 19, 2026)95% | 97%Release DateJuly 17, 2026
According to Deadline, it is the biggest worldwide launch of Nolan’s career with a massive $257.8 million haul globally. A part of this huge success goes to the stacked cast of the movie. Nolan picked the best for this movie, so ranking the standouts wasn’t easy. Here is every major performance in the movie ranked, based on character, story arc, and screentime.
10. Corey Hawkins as Polybus
Corey Hawkins as Polybus in The Odyssey | Credits: Universal Pictures
Corey Hawkins takes on Polybus, one of the many suitors crowding Odysseus’ palace and hounding Penelope while the king is presumed missing. He works as a secondary antagonist, backing up Robert Pattinson’s Antinous. It is easily the smallest role on this list, as Hawkins doesn’t get a whole lot of screen time to make his mark.
Still, he earns a spot in the top 10 just because of how quickly he makes you dislike him. In just a handful of scenes, Hawkins turns Polybus into someone you want to see get what’s coming, which is exactly what the part needs. It’s a small but memorable role in a very crowded ensemble.
9. Tom Holland as Telemachus
Tom Holland as Telemachus in The Odyssey | Credits: Universal Pictures
Tom Holland plays Telemachus, the son of Odysseus and Penelope, who has grown up barely knowing the father he hasn’t seen since he was a baby. Holland clearly enjoys stretching his acting muscles here after a decade in the Spider-Man suit, and his scenes searching for his father carry real emotional weight.
But he lands lower on the list, as Holland’s performance was a bit uneven. While his character arc was genuinely moving as part of a broken family being slowly pieced back together, he came off as slightly too green for the role. It’s still a heartfelt performance from one of the film’s biggest stars and second protagonist.
8. Elliot Page as Sinon
Elliot Page as Sinon in The Odyssey | Credits: Universal Pictures
Elliot Page appears as Sinon, the Greek soldier who helped trick the Trojans into wheeling the wooden horse inside their walls. He is one of the first characters to appear on screen. At first, it looks like a tiny part, and you might wonder what the fuss is about. Then Odysseus reaches Hades, where Sinon’s ghost returns. In this sequence, Page delivers a haunting speech blaming Matt Damon’s character for his lies that sticks with you long after.
His grim fate hangs heavily over Odysseus’ conscience and becomes one of the film’s most emotional scenes. Page is at their world-weary best here, doing a lot with limited screen time. Several critics singled out this subplot and praised Page’s performance. It comes after an online rage over their casting, which many assumed to be Achilles initially. However, they defied the odds to deliver a performance worth mentioning on this list.
7. Jon Bernthal as Menelaus
Jon Bernthal as Menelaus in The Odyssey | Credits: Universal Pictures
Jon Bernthal shows up as Menelaus, the king of Sparta, whose wife Helen sparked the Trojan War. He delivers what you would expect of him, bringing an intimidating presence to the role. But what makes the performance work is the softer side he reveals, especially when young Telemachus comes seeking answers about his missing father.
Bernthal has always been great at bringing out both his tough exterior and his real tender side. His screen time is limited, which keeps him from ranking higher, but Bernthal makes every scene count and gives the film some of its most grounded beats along the way.
6. Robert Pattinson as Antinous
Robert Pattinson as Antinous in The Odyssey | Credits: Universal Pictures
Robert Pattinson plays Antinous, the ringleader of the suitors trying to muscle their way into Odysseus’ home and marry Penelope. He’s the main threat waiting back in Ithaca. Pattinson is just great in villain roles, and he leans into the character’s slimy and cowardly nature.
Antinous is someone you love to hate, but Pattinson has set such a high bar with his recent work that this feels more like a fun turn than an all-time great one. He’s excellent, but this isn’t quite peak Pattinson, and that’s a very high bar to clear.
5. Anne Hathaway as Penelope
Anne Hathaway as Penelope in The Odyssey | Credits: Universal Pictures
Anne Hathaway has yet another great role in movies this year, playing Penelope, Odysseus’ faithful wife. She holds their kingdom together while fending off the suitors and raising Telemachus alone. We already know Hathaway is one of the finest actors around, and she absolutely delivers here.
She’s handed several big monologues, whether opposite Holland’s Telemachus or Damon’s Odysseus, and every one of them lands. She carries a wealth of emotion in every scene, balancing steely composure with real vulnerability. She cracked into the top 5 with what is being considered one of the best performances of her career.
4. John Leguizamo as Eumeaus
John Leguizamo as Eumeaus in The Odyssey | Credits: Universal Pictures
John Leguizamo is the nearly blind swineherd, Eumaeus, who stayed fiercely loyal to Odysseus even when everyone else assumed the king was dead. He’s a supporting player, but he steals just about every scene he’s in. Despite his blindness, Eumaeus is one of the most observant characters, and Leguizamo brings deep layers of emotion to the role.
He has great lines, and his patient longing for his master’s return became the most deeply felt emotion in the whole film. With across-the-board love from critics, Leguizamo beats stars like Holland and Pattinson to climb high up on this list.
3. Himesh Patel as Eurylochus
Himesh Patel as Eurylochus in The Odyssey | Credits: Universal Pictures
Himesh Patel might be the biggest surprise of the entire movie as Eurylochus, Odysseus’ second-in-command and a fellow survivor of Troy. He arguably has the second-most screen time in the film, behind only Damon. Patel plays off Damon beautifully during the long, brutal voyage home.
He is constantly questioning his captain’s choices in a way that could easily have tipped into villainy, but never does. Instead, he keeps Eurylochus grippingly human. He is clearly a striking standout in this list, even if the marketing underused him. Nolan fans may remember him from Tenet, which probably paved the way for one of his career-best performances.
2. Samantha Morton as Circe
Samantha Morton as Circe in The Odyssey | Credits: Universal Pictures
Speaking of standouts, one of the actors who is getting major attention after the movie’s release is Samantha Morton, whom critics and fans call a scene-stealer in the movie. She plays Circe, the sorceress Odysseus and his crew run into on their journey.
She’s only on screen for maybe 10 to 15 minutes, entering and exiting fairly quickly, but she completely dominates every second of it. Her scenes with the crew are unsettling and impossible to look away from. Pulling off that kind of impact with so little screen time is remarkable, and it’s exactly why Morton lands all the way up at number two.
1. Matt Damon as Odysseus
Matt Damon takes the top spot as Odysseus himself, and this isn’t just because the movie is centered around him. He carries the entire movie with a towering performance, tracing his character’s journey from a prideful warrior into a man broken and humbled by years of trauma and loss. And Damon brings everything to it.
He has the physicality, the despair, the anger, the agony, and a raw introspective intensity, making it the most commanding role of his career. Damon’s third collaboration with Nolan, and first in the lead, is already set to become the biggest opening of his career and potentially his highest-grossing movie as a lead.
RankingThe Odyssey CastTheir Roles1Matt DamonOdysseus2Samantha MortonCirce3Himesh PatelEurylochus4John LeguizamoEumeaus5Anne HathawayPenelope6Robert PattinsonAntinous7Jon BernthalMenelaus8Elliot PageSinon9Tom HollandTelemachus10Corey HawkinsPolybus
Which of these performances from Nolan’s epic is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
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