‘The Odyssey’s’ IMDb Score Just Keeps Climbing, and It’s Putting Nolan’s Other Films to Shame

Christopher Nolan has spent his entire career building a filmography stacked with critically acclaimed hits, but ‘The Odyssey’ has quickly emerged as something different entirely. What started as one of the most anticipated releases of the year has since evolved into arguably the most universally beloved film of his career, at least according to the numbers.

That reception has been building steadily since the film’s July 17 release, with both critics and general audiences responding with an enthusiasm that has surprised even seasoned box office watchers. Given the film’s ambitious scope and nearly three-hour runtime, that kind of consistent praise across platforms is genuinely rare.

The latest sign of that momentum comes from IMDb, where ‘The Odyssey’ keeps climbing and is now sitting at 8.5 out of 10 based on more than 164,000 user ratings. That score already places the film among Nolan’s highest-rated projects on the platform, putting it in the same territory as ‘The Prestige,’ which also holds an 8.5 rating.

For context on just how strong that number is, only two of Nolan’s twelve films currently rank higher on IMDb. ‘Inception’ sits at 8.8, while ‘Interstellar’ holds an 8.7, meaning ‘The Odyssey’ has already surpassed acclaimed entries like ‘Oppenheimer,’ which currently sits at 8.2 despite winning seven Oscars.

That kind of reception is not limited to IMDb either. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film debuted with a 98 percent critics score, officially dethroning both ‘Memento’ and ‘The Dark Knight,’ which had previously tied at 94 percent as Nolan’s highest rated films on that platform. With an average critic rating of 8.80 out of 10 across 163 reviews, only two reviews included in that total were negative, both citing pacing concerns tied to the film’s lengthy runtime.

Audiences have responded with similar enthusiasm. The film’s Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter score currently sits at 97 percent based on over 1,000 verified user ratings, surpassing previous Nolan crowd favorites like ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Memento,’ both of which sit at 94 percent among audience reviewers.

The film’s critical reputation has also extended to individual performances within its sprawling ensemble. Reports indicate ‘The Odyssey’ currently stands as the best reviewed film for several cast members, including Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland and Lupita Nyong’o, suggesting the film’s strength extends well beyond just Nolan’s own directorial reputation.

That kind of across-the-board acclaim comes despite some controversy surrounding the film’s casting choices ahead of release, with criticism focused on the absence of Greek talent in key roles. Despite that backlash, the discourse appears to have had little impact on either the film’s critical reception or its box office performance, which has continued breaking records well past its opening weekend.

With ‘The Odyssey’ still climbing on IMDb days after release and its Rotten Tomatoes numbers already standing as career bests for Nolan, the film looks increasingly positioned to be remembered as one of the defining achievements of his filmography. Given how rarely a nearly three-hour, R-rated mythological epic manages to win over audiences and critics this decisively, this level of reception feels genuinely remarkable.

What do you think about ‘The Odyssey’ climbing to become one of Christopher Nolan’s highest-rated films ever? Let us know in the comments.