Christopher Nolan's $250m Imax adaptation of Homer's Odyssey has received near-unanimous praise from critics, with reviewers widely predicting it will rank among the director's best-reviewed films and a strong contender for the best picture Oscar next year. Major outlets including the Guardian, Independent and Telegraph awarded it the full five stars, while the New York Times and the Times both described it in glowing terms, suggesting the film could mark a high point in Nolan's career.

The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw praised its "thrilling ambition, boldness, seriousness, generosity and flair", while the Independent called it "Nolan's best work to date" and the Telegraph rated it the best film of the year so far. The Times's Kevin Maher called it "a masterpiece in every way", and the New York Times's Manohla Dargis described it as "a classic in every sense". Not every review was entirely uncritical: Variety's Guy Lodge and the Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney both praised its spectacle but flagged some "dull interludes" and moments of "structurally clumsy" storytelling, with Rooney also questioning Tom Holland's casting and some anachronistic dialogue. Classicist Mary Beard, however, defended the modern-sounding language, calling it a "brisk, pacy and contemporary film".