Christopher Nolan's Homeric epic *The Odyssey*, starring Matt Damon, has opened to largely glowing reviews but is showing signs of divided reception, with a vocal minority of one- and half-star ratings on Rotten Tomatoes branding it "super boring" and poorly written. Deadline examines how this split reaction might affect its Oscar prospects, noting that Nolan's films have long been polarising yet have still performed well during awards season, most notably with Oppenheimer's seven-Academy-Award haul.

Nolan has favoured mid-July releases for his major films since Inception in 2010, a strategy that has paid off at the Oscars, but it remains unclear whether The Odyssey can replicate Oppenheimer's success, particularly with Warner Bros' Dune: Part Three arriving on 18 December as a rival awards contender. While nominations for Best Picture, Director and technical categories seem likely, Nolan's inconsistent record on acting nominations – including Leonardo DiCaprio's Inception snub – leaves Damon's chances uncertain, despite strong audience affection for the star and his sole prior Oscar win for co-writing Good Will Hunting.