Right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro has praised Christopher Nolan's film adaptation of The Odyssey as a "masterpiece" in an 18-minute YouTube review, despite the movie facing pre-release criticism from some conservative commentators over the casting of trans actor Elliot Page. Shapiro's largely positive verdict runs counter to backlash brewing in right-wing media circles, and he urged fellow conservatives not to boycott the film or dismiss it before seeing it, arguing its broader themes align with conservative values.

Shapiro rated the film 8.5 out of 10 and praised Matt Damon as Odysseus, Robert Pattinson as Antinous and Tom Holland as Telemachus, while also defending the casting of Zendaya as Athena and Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy against criticism that they don't look sufficiently Greek. However, he singled out Elliot Page's casting as Sinon for personal criticism, making disparaging remarks about Page's gender identity and physical appearance, and speculated without evidence about Nolan's reasons for casting them. Despite this objection, Shapiro predicted the film would not suffer commercially, noting audiences tend to overlook perceived flaws when a film is otherwise entertaining.