Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey Just Scored a Metacritic Ranking That Puts It Second Only to One Other Film in His Career

Christopher Nolan has spent decades building a reputation as one of the most meticulous filmmakers working in Hollywood today, and his latest gamble might be the biggest swing of his career. After the seven Oscar wins that came with ‘Oppenheimer,’ fans wondered how the director could possibly top himself.

His answer arrived in the form of Homer’s ancient epic poem, reimagined for the IMAX screen with a cast stacked with A-list talent. Matt Damon leads as Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca, fighting his way home after the Trojan War, alongside Anne Hathaway as his wife Penelope and Tom Holland as their son Telemachus.

Now that the reviews are rolling in, the numbers are telling a remarkable story. ‘The Odyssey’ has landed a Metascore of 91 on Metacritic, which places it as the second-highest rated film of Nolan’s entire directing career, trailing only 2017’s ‘Dunkirk’ at 94.

That puts the sprawling mythological epic ahead of even ‘Oppenheimer,’ which sits at 90, and well above beloved fan favorites like ‘The Dark Knight,’ which holds a score of 85. For a filmmaker whose career has already produced some of the most celebrated blockbusters of the last twenty years, that is an extraordinary result.

The critical consensus backs up the numbers. Critics have been especially vocal about the film’s scale and ambition, with several outlets pointing to its use of practical effects and real-world locations across Italy, Iceland, Greece, Morocco, and Scotland as a defining strength.

Rotten Tomatoes has been just as enthusiastic, with early tallies showing the film sitting in rare territory for the director. Reviewers have repeatedly circled back to the sheer physical scope of the production, noting that ‘The Odyssey’ was shot entirely on IMAX 70mm cameras, giving it a texture that feels distinct even among Nolan’s own filmography.

Damon’s transformation into Odysseus became one of the most talked about elements of the production well before release. The actor underwent a strict diet and training regimen to slim down for the role, and he grew out a full beard over the course of a year rather than rely on prosthetics.

Beyond Damon, Hathaway and Holland, the ensemble includes Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o and Jon Bernthal, among others. Many of these actors are working with Nolan for the first time, while others like Pattinson and Hathaway are returning collaborators from earlier films in his catalog.

Speaking about what drew him to the story in the first place, Damon described his initial reaction to reading the script as one of intimidation before ultimately embracing the challenge. He explained that he saw his job as focusing on his own piece of a much larger puzzle, telling Rotten Tomatoes that in a production this massive, there are countless moving parts, of which he was only one.

That sense of scale appears to be exactly what critics have responded to. Several reviews have singled out the film as arguably Nolan’s most awe-inspiring work since ‘Dunkirk,’ with praise centered on both its visual ambition and the way it balances intimate character moments against a genuinely massive backdrop.

A 91 on Metacritic is not just a strong number in isolation; it places ‘The Odyssey’ firmly among the most acclaimed films of Nolan’s entire career. Only ‘Dunkirk’ currently ranks higher, and both films now sit ahead of awards juggernauts like ‘Oppenheimer’ and cult classics like ‘The Dark Knight.’

For a director who has built his reputation on ambitious, large-scale filmmaking, this kind of critical reception suggests ‘The Odyssey’ is not just another entry in his catalog. It may end up being remembered as one of the definitive achievements of his career.

With the film now playing in theaters, audiences will get their own chance to weigh in alongside the critics. What do you think about ‘The Odyssey’ landing this high on Nolan’s all time rankings, let us know in the comments.