Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is set to be a massive, R-rated reality check for anyone expecting the sanitized, SparkNotes version of Homer’s epic. When this drops, don't expect the stuffy, toga-clad classroom drama you remember from ninth grade; with Matt Damon and Tom Holland attached, Nolan is clearly aiming for a visceral, high-stakes survival story that leans into the "horror" of ancient myth.
TL;DR: The Odyssey is expected to be a gritty, R-rated departure from traditional Greek myth adaptations, focusing on the brutal reality of Bronze Age warfare and survival. Starring Matt Damon and Tom Holland, it will likely be too intense for younger kids who know the story from Percy Jackson. For a full breakdown of age-appropriate epics, see our best movies for kids list.
The biggest thing to know is the rating. Christopher Nolan doesn't do "R" for cheap thrills; he does it for scale and dread. Based on the first trailers, this film is set to treat the Mediterranean as a deathtrap. The sirens won't be pretty singing ladies; they’ll likely be psychological nightmare fuel. The Cyclops won't be a goofy puppet; it'll be a massive, terrifying force of nature.
If your kid has only encountered Odysseus through the Percy Jackson series or school-safe retellings, this is going to be a shock to the system. Nolan is reportedly using the same 70mm IMAX tech he used for Oppenheimer and Dunkirk to make the Bronze Age feel massive and unforgiving.
Matt Damon is set to play Odysseus not as a shining hero, but as a weary, perhaps even broken, soldier trying to get home after a decade of slaughter in Troy. Tom Holland is expected to play Telemachus, the son who has grown up in the shadow of a ghost.
The R-rating likely comes from two places: the sheer brutality of ancient combat (think the opening of Saving Private Ryan, but with spears and shields) and the "monsters." In the original text, Odysseus’s men are eaten alive, crushed, and drowned in ways that most movies gloss over. Nolan looks like he’s leaning into the "mythic" as "terrifying."
If you’re planning on seeing this with an older teen, or if your kid is suddenly obsessed with Greek myths because of the hype, use the lead-up to the release to get the "language comprehension" strands of their literacy going. You don't have to make them slog through a dry textbook.
If you want to do the story justice before the movie hits, this is the version to get. Wilson’s translation is famous for being punchy, modern, and readable. The move here is the audiobook. Listening to an epic poem is how it was originally intended to be experienced. It builds massive vocabulary and narrative structure skills without the "decoding" fatigue of staring at a 500-page book.
If your kid wants to feel the vibe of Greek gods being fickle, difficult, and visually stunning, Hades is the gold standard. It’s a "roguelike," meaning they’ll die a lot, but the storytelling is top-tier. It’s a great way to learn the pantheon without it feeling like a chore.
For a different perspective on the same events, this book is a masterpiece. It follows the "witch" Circe, whom Odysseus encounters on his way home. It’s more of a character study and less of a "war movie," making it a perfect companion piece for a kid who wants to understand the world Nolan is building.
The R-rating is a signal that this is a movie about PTSD and the cost of war, wrapped in a monster movie. If you have a younger kid (under 12 or 13) who loves the "coolness" of Greek myths, they might find the actual violence and the grim tone of this version upsetting. It’s not "fun" in the way a Marvel movie is fun; it’s "intense" in the way a survival thriller is intense.
Q: Is The Odyssey movie okay for a 10 year old? Based on the R-rating and the trailers, probably not. It’s expected to be much more violent and psychologically heavy than the versions of the story taught in elementary school. If they want Greek myths, stick with Percy Jackson for now.
Q: Why is Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey rated R? The rating is for "strong bloody violence, disturbing images, and brief language." It's set to depict the Trojan War and the various monsters Odysseus encounters with a realism that matches Nolan’s other historical epics like Dunkirk.
Q: Do kids need to read the book before seeing the movie? They don't need to, but having the background knowledge makes the non-linear storytelling Nolan is known for much easier to follow. Try an audiobook version of the Emily Wilson translation to build that context together.
Q: What are the best Greek myth movies for younger kids? Since this one is for the older crowd, younger kids are better off with the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series on Disney+ or the classic 1997 The Odyssey miniseries, which is much more "school-safe."
Nolan’s The Odyssey is shaping up to be a cinematic event, but it’s not a family-friendly romp. It’s a high-brow, high-intensity survival epic. If you have teens, it’s a perfect opportunity to talk about how stories change depending on who’s telling them—and why a "hero" in the Bronze Age might look like a very different person through a modern lens.
- For more age-appropriate mythic adventures, check out our best movies for kids list.
- If your kid is a gamer, see our best games for kids list for more titles like Hades.
- Ask our chatbot for a personalized Greek myth reading list
