What to stream before watching ‘The Odyssey’
What to stream before watching ‘The Odyssey’
If you’re excited for Christopher Nolan’s new adaptation of the classic tale, we’ll give you a list of movies to watch to whet your appetite for adventure.
Christopher Nolan is about to bring his latest masterpiece to cinemas. Nolan’s new movie “The Odyssey” is arriving in theaters on Friday, July 17 (with preview screenings happening on Thursday, July 16), and audiences are poised to flock to theaters for the three-hour epic. The film adapts Homer’s legendary tale of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, who must make his way home following the end of the Trojan War.
Since you can’t stream “The Odyssey” at home yet, you’ll have to find other titles to get you hyped for the movie before heading to the theater. But which movies should you watch before you make your way to the cinema in preparation for “The Odyssey”? We’ll give you a list of our favorite options to stream before seeing the film and why we think they connect below!
Which movies should you stream before seeing ‘The Odyssey’?
‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’
“O Brother, Where Art Thou” was released in 2000 and was directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film is loosely based on “The Odyssey” and follows three escaped convicts who search for a buried treasure in the American South of the 1930s.
The film adapts key aspects of the story of “The Odyssey,” with characters corresponding to Odysseus, the Cyclops, and even Zeus. It also has one of the best soundtracks of any film I’ve ever watched, and it’s fantastically funny throughout. I can recommend a rewatch of “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” at essentially any time, but especially when preparing to go see “The Odyssey.”
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
In the deep south during the 1930s, three escaped convicts search for hidden treasure while a relentless lawman pursues them.
‘Troy’
If you prefer a title that leads a bit more directly into the story of “The Odyssey” before seeing the new Nolan film, check out Wolfgang Petersen’s 2004 epic “Troy,” starring Brad Pitt and Eric Bana. The movie isn’t exactly the most faithful adaptation of the tale of the Trojan War, but it has excellent entertainment value nonetheless.
The movie stars Pitt as Achilles, a warrior of great skill who has little respect for the Greek king Agamemnon. Nevertheless, Achilles is swept into the fight when Paris, prince of Troy, absconds with Helen, the beautiful wife of the king of Sparta. Sean Bean plays Odysseus in the movie, and it ends just before he sets off for his infamous journey back to Ithaca.
Troy
In year 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age, two emerging nations begin to clash. Paris, the Trojan prince, convinces Helen, Queen of Sparta, to leave her husband Menelaus, and sail with him back to Troy. After Menelaus finds out that his wife was taken by the Trojans, he asks his brother Agamemnon to help him get her back. Agamemnon sees this as an opportunity for power. They set off with 1,000 ships holding 50,000 Greeks to Troy.
‘Dunkirk’
If you’re not familiar with Christopher Nolan’s directing choices and visual style yet, there really is no bad movie to watch to familiarize yourself. But my favorite Nolan film, and perhaps my favorite Nolan film ever made, is “Dunkirk,” the 2017 film that tells the story of the evacuation of the British army from France in the early days of World War II.
The movie features one of the most unique storytelling devices I’ve ever seen, following three separate narratives that take place over different time periods, which converge at different points in the film. “The Odyssey” may not use as ambitious a narrative structure, but streaming “Dunkirk” will absolutely prepare fans for the film’s Nolan factor.
Dunkirk
The story of the miraculous evacuation of Allied soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and France, who were cut off and surrounded by the German army from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk between May 26th and June 4th 1940 during World War II.
‘Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World’
At the heart of “The Odyssey” is an epic sea voyage, and if that’s the kind of tale you’re looking for, “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” is a great choice. The film stars Russell Crowe as Captain Jack Aubrey, a British navy captain during the Napoleonic Wars who has been tasked with defeating an elusive French war vessel.
The movie brings home just how brutal life at sea was for sailors for hundreds of years, when wind was the only propulsion and stars were the best navigation guide. It’s not exactly set in the same time period as “The Odyssey,” but it portrays a sometimes-dismal life at sea that Odysseus’s crew would at least be able to sympathize with.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
After an abrupt and violent encounter with a French warship inflicts severe damage upon his ship, a captain of the British Royal Navy begins a chase over two oceans to capture or destroy the enemy, though he must weigh his commitment to duty and ferocious pursuit of glory against the safety of his devoted crew, including the ship’s thoughtful surgeon, his best friend.
‘Jason and the Argonauts’
Last, but certainly not least, comes the beautifully schlocky “Jason of the Argonauts.” The 1963 movie tells another epic tale of ancient Greece, following the fearless sailor and explorer Jason as he returns home to the kingdom of Thessaly. On his way, however, he must first find the magical Golden Fleece.
On the way, he must battle terrifying monsters, including armies of skeletons, winged harpies, and the horrifying Hydra. The movie is packed with 1960s special effects and movie magic and makes for an incredibly fun watch. Plus, it’s appropriate for all ages, so you won’t have to rush the kids out of the room at any point.
Jason and the Argonauts
Jason, a fearless sailor and explorer, returns to his home land of Thessaly after a long voyage to claim his rightful throne. He learns, however, that he must first find the magical Golden Fleece. To do so, he must embark on an epic quest fraught with fantastic monsters and terrible perils.