The Odyssey Feud: Christopher Nolan Film vs. Emily Wilson Explained

Again not the only critic to do so, Wilson also called out the lack of sex in the R-rated film, as the text contains plenty of NSFW content when it comes to what Odysseus actually gets up to during the seven years he spends on the beach with the nymph Calypso—a detour portrayed tamely in the film—and how he convinces Circe to change his men back into human form after she turns them into pigs.

Ultimately, Wilson concluded, the film “lacks psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth. Its narrative structure is gimmicky. The writing is abysmal. None of the characters has convincing motivation for their actions or words. There are no sex scenes, and all the food looks horrible.”

However, she was glad that people were excited to go to the movies and “translations of The Odyssey, including mine, are flying off the shelves.” And, she wrote, “Some of those who buy the book or show up in cinemas to watch Tom Holland may go on to study ancient Greek.”