**Warning: Spoilers for The Odyssey ahead.**
It’s hard to think of a film in recent years that has attracted quite as much excitement or chatter as Christopher Nolan’s new take on Homer’s epic The Odyssey.
There has been a huge amount of discussion ever since the project was first announced back in December 2024, and that’s only increased now that the film is showing in cinemas around the world (on the back of a wave of rapturous reviews).
Of course, one of the talking points throughout has been speculation regarding just how closely Nolan would stick to the source text, the ancient Greek poem that dates back to the 8th century BC.
While some of that discussion has bordered on the pedantic – regarding how accurate certain pieces of body armour might be to the time period, or whether Nolan’s use of colloquial language in the script is appropriate – for others it has simply been interesting to ponder quite how vividly Nolan would bring to life certain aspects of the text.
So what changes have been made? Read on for everything you need to know.
The Odyssey accuracy: How closely does Nolan’s adaptation stick to Homer’s epic?
The first thing to point out is that when we talk about accuracy, we’re of course not talking about historical accuracy in the true sense of the term – given that The Odyssey is a fictional, mythological text. Rather, we’re discussing how closely Nolan’s script matches the original work.
For the most part the film skews fairly closely to the source material, certainly more so than some previous takes (such as the delightful Coen brothers film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a very loose adaptation of the epic).
That said, there were always going to be some changes in the translation from book to screen – and Nolan has taken some liberties with his adaptation, condensing some plot points, removing others entirely, and altering some of the character motivations to suit his vision for the story.
Some of the most obvious changes are concerned with the central character of Odysseus, played by Matt Damon. In the poem, the character is frequently deceitful – although this isn’t necessarily framed as a character weakness – while he is also in some ways very far from a typical hero.
He’s flawed in the film, too, but not quite to the same extent – and is clearly seen to show remorse for some of his worst actions.
He shows genuine signs of having been troubled by the violence that was brought about in Troy as a direct result of his deception, with this theme becoming arguably the key one of Nolan’s adaptation – certainly playing a more important role than in the original work.
In terms of the various Gods and monsters that Odysseus encounters on his long journey, the most familiar characters – such as the Cyclops Polyphemus and the witch-goddess Circe – get their moments to shine, but there are also several key alterations made.
For example, the role of the nymph Calypso – played in the film by Charlize Theron – is rather different, not so much tormenting Odysseus as she does in the original text (in which she is in love with him and refuses to let him move on) but instead presented as more sympathetic to his plight.
Meanwhile, a notable change is also made with the aforementioned Circe, who is sensationally played in one of the film’s best performances by Samantha Morton.
In the source text, Odysseus ends up living with her for an entire year after they sleep together in his attempt to convince her to transform his men back into their human form (after she had turned them into pigs).
The film version of the character has no intention of sleeping with Odysseus and their interaction is far more fleeting, though it is by no means less memorable.
Several other enemies are also slightly changed; the Laestrygonians – a race of giant cannibals in the poem – are altered to resemble large, armour-wearing knights, while the version of Polyphemus we see in the film does not engage in conversation with Odysseus as in the original work.
Meanwhile, one of the most prominent changes made by Nolan regards the “people from the sea” or “sea people”, who are referred to frequently by the characters in Ithaca during the film but have no specific basis in the original work.
In the text, the only things from the sea that cause fear for the characters are Gods and monsters rather than invading people – and so this addition of a feared people, put forward as a possible reason for the collapse of Ancient Mycenaean civilisation, is a new addition for this version of the story.
Interestingly, though not included in previous versions of the tale, the Sea People do have a basis in real history – with classicists still debating to what extent they might have been responsible for the downfall of society at the end of the Bronze Age.
The term Sea Peoples was first used by 19th century French Egyptologists to describe various accounts of invading naval forces made in Ancient Egyptian texts, with similar accounts having also appeared in Ancient Greek texts, and it is this which Nolan is drawing on in his adaptation.
One final change regards the role of Sinon – the character played by Elliot Page – in the Sacking of Troy. The Sacking itself is explored in more depth in Nolan’s film than the original text, and Sinon himself is actually entirely absent from the poem (although he does appear in Virgil’s Aeneid).
In the film, Sinon is presented as a pawn in Odysseus’s scheme to deceive the Trojans, and his death is something which later haunts Odysseus – especially given Sinon was only called up to serve as a result of Antinous (Robert Pattinson) refusing to join the forces.
In a key and effective scene later, it is the shade of Sinon who confronts Odysseus when he travels to Hades, shaming him for his deceitful ways and for not properly honouring the dead – which only adds to the title character’s guilt.
As with the other changes, it is one that makes sense for Nolan’s version of the tale, which is especially keen on exploring how Odysseus’s psyche has been affecting by both his original war victory but also the long journey home.
The Odyssey is released in cinemas on Friday 17 July.
Book your £10 seat for the first ever Radio Times Film Night and watch Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey with fellow film fans at Odeon Luxe Islington on Thursday 23 July 2026.
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