Credit: Universal Pictures

Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey hits theaters this weekend (Friday, July 17), and the first reviews have arrived – and they’re mostly all glowing.

The movie, written by the director is an adaptation of Homer‘s ancient Greek epic that follows Odysseus, King of Ithaca, on his journey to return home after the Trojan War.

The Odyssey features an A-list roster of stars, including Matt Damon as Odysseus, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Robert Pattinson as Antinous, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, and Charlize Theron as Calypso.

Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, Himesh Patel, John Leguizamo, and Mia Goth all star as well.

Now that the review embargo has lifted, critics are sharing their thoughts on the film. What do people have to say about the movie?

The Odyssey has almost universally positive reviews, and currently has a 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

TheWrap says: “The Odyssey is a personal studio blockbuster about self-loathing and shame. Watching a story this intimate and judgmental unfold on such titanic scale is a rare, almost perverse experience. You can’t say Hollywood doesn’t make them like this anymore. Nobody ever did.”

Esquire says: “…In Nolan’s hands, I must say, I was entertained. What could easily have curdled into pastiche is, in fact, mesmeric, turning on a penny as it veers from creepy to frightening, exciting to tender, often inside the same scene. The final showdown is a masterpiece of claustrophobic filmmaking, and well worth the three-hour wait.”

IGN says: “Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is a must-watch cinematic experience, an epic film version of an epic poem that adapts many of the out-there concepts of Homer through a new eye that frequently brings a sense of horror and existential angst to the story – and even a bit of humor too! “

The LA Times says: “Nolan refuses to tremble before the canon. Grabbing mighty scissors, he cuts and rejiggers Homer and a bit of Virgil to transform these classical texts into his type of tale: one fixated on memory, self-identity, destructive genius and the slippage of time. As ever, it’s light on sex, heavy on wine-dark angst.”

The Daily Beast writes: “Modern mainstream films don’t come more daring, mammoth, and accomplished than Nolan’s latest.”

USA Today gives it 4 out of 4, writing: ‘Not only is it the greatest work on the iconic director’s noteworthy resume but The Odyssey also tops Matt Damon’s not-too-shabby CV. Just give him the best actor Oscar now, for Zeus’ sake.”

The Wall Street Journal says: “Though occasionally less than ideally written and acted, The Odyssey, as a feast of image and sound, is an exceptional cinematic experience.”

Newsday says: “Nolan’s Odyssey is nearly three hours long but never slow going. And it’s the friction between past and present that propels the movie as much as Odysseus’ wayward path.”

IndieWire gave it an A-, writing: “The gods speak obtusely, even in Nolan’s script, but this magnificent epic leaves us with the ability to heed their meaning.”

Houston Chronicle says: “This $250 million Odyssey is Homer as sifted through Nolan’s idiosyncratic vision and, no question, the purists might not be happy with the results. But the rest of us can just enjoy the impressive spectacle.”

THR says: “While The Odyssey is uneven, and no match for the sure-footedness and intellectual complexity of Oppenheimer, it’s elevated by the blindingly charismatic ensemble.”

Seattle Times gives it 3.5 out of 4, writing: “If you lean back and surrender yourself to this Odyssey, it’s a remarkable journey, and Damon’s performance finds some welcome transcendence at the end.”

The Guardian gave it 5 out of 5 stars, writing: “The result is a gigantic, shimmering mirage, a mysterious three-hour vision of crazy episodes that does not yield up wisdom or contentment, but only a grim resolution to continue with the fight, to make sense of ruined lives, to re-enter the scorched battlefield of loss.”

Variety says: “There’s so much to feel here at a sensory level that the film gets away with its slightly aloof, soul-skirting chill; we leave it feeling that we’ve been to hell and back, and exhilaratingly so.”

RogerEbert.com gives it 4 out of 4, and says: “Technically, as you’d expect from this director, the movie is mightily impressive, for its scale, the graceful way it moves from one time period to another, and for the tactility of its imagery.”

Globe and Mail says: “The Odyssey, which serves up awe-inspiring spectacle but is at its best when quietly contemplative, isn’t merely an opportunistic follow-up to Oppenheimer. It’s also a meaningful one.”

Recently, Matt opened up about the challenges and the scale of filming the upcoming movie, which was filmed using a brand new IMAX film technology.

Jon Bernthal recently recalled taking his castmates out for dinner after wrapping his scenes for the movie.

Lupita Nyong’o also recently responded to casting news backlash.

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