Watched The Odyssey, and I can see why a classics scholar might not care for it: it’s not so much a cinematic interpretation of as a horror movie based on. But it is an excellent horror movie. There were several moments when, despite knowing what was going to happen, I felt genuine suspense. Some of the monsters, especially the Cyclops and Scylla, are Lovecraftian terrors. The (spoiler) slaughter of the suitors is some satisfying carnage.
I do have notes:
- Some scenes go on too long.
- The sound doesn’t need to be so relentlessly thundery.
- The whole “Zeus’s Law” thing seems more plot device than an organic part of the story’s world.
- The casting is mostly spot on, but I’m not sure Matt Damon is the best choice for this Odysseus. Damon’s deliberative acting style works wonderfully in The Talented Mr. Ripley—another trickster figure—but it feels a little off here. Too opaque, maybe, for a character we’re supposed to empathize with.
Overall, would recommend to horror fans, but don’t expect a faithful adaptation of classic literature.
(NOTE: I haven’t read Emily Wilson’s review of the movie. If I repeat or dispute any point she made, that’s coincidental.)