{"id":2508232,"date":"2026-07-19T14:09:03","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T14:09:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2508232"},"modified":"2026-07-19T14:09:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T14:09:03","slug":"like-the-odyssey-then-watch-these-3-underrated-epic-movies-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/like-the-odyssey-then-watch-these-3-underrated-epic-movies-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Like The Odyssey? Then Watch These 3 Underrated Epic Movies Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

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If you\u2019re a movie fan, you\u2019re probably going to watch Christopher Nolan<\/strong>\u2019s The Odyssey<\/a> at some point.<\/p>\n

The epic adaptation of Homer\u2019s classic poem starring Matt Damon<\/strong><\/a>, Anne Hathaway<\/strong>, Tom Holland, Zendaya<\/a><\/strong> and more is projected to top the box office this weekend and probably the rest of the summer.<\/p>\n

If you have already watched the film and are craving more ancient history spectacle, or simply want to watch a good film, you\u2019re in luck.<\/p>\n

Watch With Us<\/a> has curated a list of films you should watch if you like The Odyssey and can\u2019t get enough of Hellenic heroism and sweaty men killing each other on the battlefield.\n<\/p>\n

\u2018Troy\u2019 (2004) \u2013 YouTube<\/h2>\n
\"Brad<\/div>\n


\n Brad Pitt in Troy.<\/span> Warner Brothers\/courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/p>\n

The most obvious pick on this list, Troy is also the most satisfying \u2013 especially for those looking for more traditional epic movie thrills. Brad Pitt<\/strong><\/a> stars as Achilles, Greece\u2019s greatest warrior, who is called into battle when pretty-boy Paris (Orlando Bloom<\/strong><\/a>) romances the married Queen Helen (Diane Kruger<\/strong>) and takes her to his hometown, Troy. Troy is well defended by Hector (Eric Bana<\/strong>), Paris\u2019 older brother and a warrior equal to Achilles, and the city\u2019s walls, which are heavily fortified. The only way to penetrate Troy \u2013 and get Helen back \u2013 is for the Greeks to sneak in, and what better way to do that than by building a giant wooden horse to hide in?<\/p>\n

Directed by Wolfgang Peterson<\/strong>, Troy is a loose adaptation of Homer\u2019s The Iliad \u2013 think of it as a more action-packed prequel to The Odyssey. The film itself is less cerebral than Nolan\u2019s film \u2013 it\u2019s focused more on staging elaborate scenes of armies attacking each other on beaches and within Troy itself. Taking it as it is, Troy is great entertainment \u2013 a thrilling, old-school spectacle of brawn, testosterone and military glory. The all-star cast looks great, even when they\u2019re covered in sweat, blood and tears, with Pitt\u2019s Achilles outmogging everyone, even Helen. Odysseus (Sean Bean<\/strong><\/a>) appears as a supporting character, but he\u2019s important \u2013 he\u2019s the genius who comes up with the idea for the Trojan Horse, which turns the tide of the war.<\/p>\n

\u2018The Return\u2019 (2024) \u2013 Paramount+<\/h2>\n
\"Charlie<\/div>\n


\n Charlie Plummer (left, on steps), Ralph Fiennes (left), Juliette Binoche (center) in The Return.<\/span> Bleecker Street Media \/ Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/p>\n

What happens after the Trojan War, when the remaining soldiers have to return home and grapple with everything they\u2019ve done to survive? That\u2019s what Nolan explores in his Odyssey, but he\u2019s not the first to adapt the ancient text. Just two years ago, Uberto Pasolini released his version of the tale, The Return, which adapts the second part of the poem. As a result, Penelope (Juliette Binoche<\/strong><\/a>) is more of a lead character than Anne Hathaway<\/strong><\/a> is in The Odyssey, as she has to reconcile with her husband\u2019s probable death and consider remarriage with a host of suitors. Odysseus (Ralph Fiennes<\/strong>) is still alive, though, and he\u2019s not too happy to find out his beloved wife has finally moved on from him.<\/p>\n

Less an epic film and more of a domestic drama, The Return probes the psychology of its married couple as well as their son, Telemachus (Charlie Plummer<\/strong>), who gradually becomes affected by all the violence he sees when his father returns. Don\u2019t expect Greek gods in The Return; Pasolini is interested in only the human drama between an estranged husband and wife who still love each other and a child who is ready to leave them behind for good.<\/p>\n

\u2018Spartacus\u2019 (1960) \u2013 Prime Video<\/h2>\n