The big question was, “What do you want to see?” It was the day after our anniversary, and I ended up falling asleep on our very special eight-year celebration of marriage! To make it up to my husband, we agreed that a night out at the movies was just what we needed. He wanted something funny, but I wanted something I couldn’t see on Netflix in a couple of weeks—something worth the ticket and concession prices. Going to the movies is as expensive as seeing a play, the opera, or dining at a high-end restaurant these days. After scrolling through the choices at our favorite theater on Fandango, I saw that The Odyssey had just opened on Friday. It had a cast I could count on for Academy Award-caliber performances and maybe something I could review for AGENDA. Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway had top billing, with a supporting cast that included Zendaya, Tom Holland, and Charlize Theron. What a cast.

A big concern was my hubby. After seeing the trailer, I knew this could go sideways, but he did enjoy Remarkably Bright Creatures, a movie about a sleuthing octopus. Great story—but slow-moving. I took a chance, ran it by him, and, to my surprise, he forewent Minions and Monsters. His reasoning? Since it was our anniversary and I really wanted to see it, he’d be willing to suffer through it for the sake of love. How sweet. So I proceeded to drag him to see The Odyssey. We arrived just as the movie was starting, and I really wanted my treats, so he watched while I ran to grab our popcorn, blue Slurpees, and Raisinets. I know it’s not healthy, but I simply have to have them when I go to the movies. When I got back to my seat a few minutes later, I noticed he was already engrossed. I was pleasantly surprised. He whispered what I’d missed, and from there this film took us both on a wild journey—not the vacation kind!

The characters are rooted in the world of ancient Greece following the Trojan War. While the Trojan Horse and Helen of Troy provide the backdrop, they aren’t what propel The Odyssey forward. One wrong decision sends Odysseus and his men down a path of unimaginable consequences. The journey reminded me a little of the movie Excalibur and the unending quest for the Holy Grail. Did any of you see A Series of Unfortunate Events? Without revealing too much, The Odyssey felt like one long series of unfortunate events. Since I don’t remember much of Homer’s epic poem, I didn’t want to stray too far from what I learned in school while studying Greek mythology. A lot of very bad things happen, and many of them arrive when you least expect it. Now let me catch you up.

The Greek (Achaean) forces in the Trojan War were led by Agamemnon, King of Mycenae, while the defending Trojans were led by King Priam and his eldest son, Hector. Agamemnon assembled a massive coalition of Greek kings and legendary warriors to retrieve Helen, the wife of his brother Menelaus, after she was taken to Troy by the Trojan prince Paris. While Agamemnon served as the supreme commander, heroes like Achilles and Odysseus were instrumental in fighting on the front lines and executing key military strategies. On the opposing side, Prince Hector served as the primary defender and commander of the Trojan army.

Okay, now let me give you my take on this film.

Excruciatingly slow-moving at times—but necessary. The plot was a little fragmented, particularly where Zendaya’s character was concerned. Her role, along with Charlize Theron’s, was sprinkled throughout just enough to remind you who they were when they reappeared. The real meat of this film lay with Matt Damon’s portrayal of Odysseus. His army was loyal until death. They encountered bizarre, often life-threatening scenarios, and there is a lot of death. But if you’ve ever wanted a new perspective on witches, sirens, and the ritualistic dead coming to life, this is your movie. All of it. I hate to admit it, but it kept seducing me deeper and deeper into the plot. I found myself wanting exactly what Odysseus wanted—to return home to his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), see his faithful dog, and embrace his son, Telemachus (Tom Holland).

This is where he misstepped, angering the gods, particularly Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. Odysseus and his army were running dangerously low on supplies when they spotted a herd of sheep leading them into a cave. Their plan was simple: kill one for dinner. Extreme hunger had driven the men to desperation. They followed the flock into the cave only to discover they had wandered into the home of the Cyclops Polyphemus, Poseidon’s son. The shocking deaths of some of the men were raw and unexpected. No spoilers. They were picked off one by one. The men needed to escape, but Polyphemus controlled the massive boulder blocking the cave’s entrance. In a desperate attempt to save his comrades, one of the soldiers drove an arrow into Polyphemus’s only eye, blinding him and unleashing complete chaos. The army fled to their boats, but many never made it. Let’s just say Poseidon was pissed and made sure Odysseus and his men paid dearly for what they had done to his son. That act of revenge follows them throughout the remainder of the film.

The acting was stellar, believable, and completely immersive—I got lost in that era. The supporting cast, the extras, and the costumes all contributed to the film’s authenticity. I relaxed, sank into the story, and allowed the visuals to mesmerize me. The art direction was incredible. Even the music stood apart from what I expected in an epic of this scale. The eerie voices juxtaposed with tribal drums created a haunting duality that perfectly supported the bizarre occurrences, and it was almost completely devoid of a traditional melodic theme. The drums were the theme, and I loved it. The cinematography was breathtaking. The scourge of war felt as though I were right there alongside them. Through one bizarre encounter after another, I gained a greater appreciation for their way of life and found myself wondering why anyone would choose to lead an army or, worse, rule a kingdom—especially during that period. Yet, considering recent world events, it also reminded me just how volatile reigning over a people has always been.

My one significant reservation concerns Helen. I have never been a fan of fundamentally changing iconic literary characters whose identities have been established for centuries. Cinema has the power to draw us into a hypnotic theta state, but that connection is lost when a central character no longer reflects the literary figure that has endured for generations. For me, Helen was both miscast and mischaracterized, and that one creative decision prevented what might otherwise have been a five-star masterpiece.