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The Odyssey’s most horrific scene is also the best change to the "original"
Samantha Morton shines in one of the best sequences of Christopher Nolan's new take on Homer's epic poem.
Universal Pictures
- David Opie
Published: Tuesday, 21 July 2026 at 10:50 am
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Just as Odysseus (Matt Damon) travelled a long, long way, so too has the ancient Greek poem that his story is based from. Dating back to the 8th century BC, Homer's epic tale has evolved a huge deal over the millennia, shifting and changing through oral tradition as it was passed down from generation to generation.
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As such, The Odyssey is prone to change more than perhaps any other story that's still remembered today. And it's not like anyone can agree on what the original text consisted of precisely anyway.
Still, none of that has stopped detractors complaining about changes to the so-called "original" in Christopher Nolan's new adaptation. Talk of "accuracy" when it comes to bringing any fictional text to life often misses the point, and that's especially of a story like this that's famously changed more times than any of us count.
Even if there was one definitive text to draw upon, it's only natural that Nolan would put his own stamp on the story, adding, removing and condensing various plot points to better suit his vision and the medium of film.
That's why the Cyclops sequence has been radically altered, for example, focusing on just one such creature rather than many. Never mind the giant sheep they're usually known to raise in the poem.
Charlize Theron's Calypso is also quite different here, kinder and far more willing to let Odysseus go than she is in most versions of the story. The gods have to intervene and force her hand usually, but the gods don't appear as much in Nolan's film, even if their presence is still felt throughout.
That's not to say supernatural beings are absent entirely. In fact, what might be the film's most striking sequence hinges entirely on one such person whose portrayal here is different than people familiar with The Odyssey might have expected.
On his long journey home, Damon doesn't just have to contend with a hungry Cyclops and ginormous cannibals. He also has to deal with a pissed off crew who believe every problem that's plagued them has come as a result of Odysseus angering the gods who would otherwise shepherd them home.
It turns out that's for the best though when their ships finally arrive on a beach where they see a cabin that may contain food. Forcing Odysseus to stay behind, the men venture up past various animals like lions, tigers and bears before they reach the hut and meet a woman named Circe (Samantha Morton).
Understandably frightened by this battalion of intruders, Circe does their bidding and spares them some of her food. It's a good thing she has so much of it to go around. That is, until Circe's magic kicks in.
Laced with a potion of her own making, the stew begins to transform the soldiers into something monstrous. And if that wasn't ghastly enough, Nolan leans fully into the body horror of this transformation, channeling David Cronenberg as Circe's hands mould the intruders, breaking bones and pulling skin into hideous new configurations.
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Watching her bend what shouldn't be broken, transforming these men into pigs, is deeply visceral, a stomach-churning sequence that refuses to let up, even within the confines of an adventure blockbuster such as this one. Later, we come to realise that Circe did the same to her sister, snapping and cracking her features into the shape of a bird that she now keeps in a cage.
"We get on better this way," says Circe after Odysseus arrives at the hut and demands an explanation.
Following a tense exchange, Circe finally relents and changes the men back into men. It's then that the witch informs Odysseus of what his future holds, telling him to visit the underworld and consult with Tiresias. In her prophecy, Circe also warns our hero of the threats ahead, such as the sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis.
While the unsettling horrors of this sequence are uniquely a product of Nolan's imagination, there are also some key changes which make far more sense for this film than a direct adaptation would in this case.
In most takes on the poem, Odysseus is immune to Circe's transformative powers thanks to the herb of moly which is gifted to him by the god Hermes. Still, she refuses to turn the pigs back into men, so he ends up living on the island with her for an entire year. Circe falls in love with Odysseus and the pair strike up a physical relationship in exchange for the lives of his men.
Matt Damon as Odysseus in The Odyssey. Universal Studios
The pair even produce three children together in some translations, sons named Telegonus, Agrius and Latinus.
Kids or not, this version of events wouldn't fit well with the driving force of Nolan's narrative, this desperate need for Odysseus to make it home and be reunited with his family. As such, Damon's protagonist doesn't stick around any longer than he needs to, and Circe shows no desire to bed him either.
As far as changes go, this one might be the most pivotal, even if it's much less talked about.
Adhering to the source material here would have undermined the emotional heart of The Odyssey in this case. If anything, it's far more effective to feature Circe in just one unforgettable sequence. This mystique around her character is vital to the impact Morton's performance makes, not to mention the power she wields.
The same can also be said for The Odyssey as a whole, which continues to shift and change over the centuries without losing any of its own power, still embedded in our collective consciousness even now in 2026.
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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Authors
David OpieFreelance Writer
David Opie is a freelance entertainment journalist who writes about TV and film across a range of sites including Radio Times, Indiewire, Empire, Yahoo, Paste, and more. He's spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and strives to champion LGBTQ+ storytelling as much as possible. Other passions include comics, animation, and horror, which is why David longs to see a Buffy-themed Rusical on RuPaul's Drag Race. He previously worked at Digital Spy as a Deputy TV Editor and has a degree in Psychology.
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