Whatever you think of the Daredevil movie with Ben Affleck, there’s no disputing that Jennifer Garner is a badass in it. Even if you hadn’t seen the physical work she was capable of as the star of Alias, watching her show off her skills as Elektra Natchios was impressive. She was really able to display her efforts with the sai training scene, which is one of the most standout moments of the film.

But no fight scene or physical stunt is as easy as it looks, especially if you’re doing it correctly. And when you’re working with sais, which are pointed weapons used in martial arts that resemble a hand fork, you have to be prepared for anything to happen... and quickly react if it does. While revisiting some of the most memorable moments from her career with Vanity Fair, Jennifer Garner recalled a scary moment from that specific night:

For someone adept at stunts but not a seasoned professional, it must have been a terrifying moment to realize that you’ve pushed yourself so hard that you might have a serious physical injury if you don’t act immediately. Thankfully, the actress had a crew member step up to help her out before things got worse.

Another super defining aspect of that Elektra scene in the film is the smash hit Evanescence song, “Bring Me To Life,” that plays over it. Having first appeared in the film and on the soundtrack and later becoming the band’s debut single from their first studio album, Garner isn’t surprised that she’s become associated with the tune. She said:

The 13 Going on 30 star was also quick to shout out her stunt double, Shauna Duggins, who she worked alongside of on Daredevil and Elektra. Diggins used 20 years of ballet training to help pull off such a memorable moment, and had has since evolved into a stunt coordinator and second unit director. Garner reprised her role as Elektra in Deadpool & Wolverine, to the joy of fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order. That movie reignited her love-hate relationship with the character's signature weapons. “These stupid sais and I have really been through it,” the mom of three declared.

For the moment, Garner has hung up her sais to play a woman unable to move forward after a devastating loss who decides to host a weekend away with three friends in The Five Star Weekend. But I would definitely be down to see Garner play Elektra again in upcoming Marvel movies. Even if that’s not the case, some of the best Garner movies and shows have put the actress into epic action, and I’d be happy to watch her utilize her particular set of skills in any of them. Until then, you can stream both Daredevil and Alias with a Disney+ subscription.

It’s uncomfortable saying anything negative about The Odyssey right now. In an age of mediocre sequels and uninspired live action adaptations, it feels necessary to exclusively put good vibes into the universe about a big budget event film with high art aspirations that’s doing its own thing. Most of us want more movies like it, and because of that desire, it’s more comfortable to just tell people, “The Odyssey is great! Go see it.”

The truth, however, is that The Odyssey is not great. It’s merely good, and the reason why it’s a step below great is because it has a major side character problem. More specifically, it’s filled with dozens of disposable side characters with one-note personalities who are merely there to advance the plot.

It’s Mostly A Problem Of Structure

I know The Odyssey is a long movie, but even for a long movie, a lot of stuff happens. We get the Trojan Horse and the destruction that comes afterwards. We get the bit with the cyclops, the bit with the sirens and the bit with Scylla and Charybids. There’s an extended sequence with Calypso and the Lotus Flowers. There’s the cattle of Helios and the entire fallout from that. There’s the stuff with Circe and Odysseus’ men and then the stuff with Circe and Odysseus himself. There’s the scene where he meets with the soldiers who have died, and the scene where they have to escape the man-eating giants.

And that’s just the stuff involving Odysseus while he’s on his extended adventure. We also get a parallel plot that runs throughout the movie that involves his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. She has to fend off the suitors who want to marry her and take her place, and Telemachus goes on his own side quest to Sparta to meet with Menelaus and try to figure out if his father is really dead.

Altogether, it’s too much plot for a single movie. It would have been an impossible task to get through all of this in three hours without abridging and trying to move through everything with a brisk momentum.

But That Doesn’t Change The Fact That These Side Characters Are Not Good

Most of The Odyssey’s runtime follows Odysseus’ quest to get home alongside his men. Unfortunately, we spend almost no time with those actual men at all. There are a few scenes of plot-driven banter and minor character development between Matt Damon’s Odysseus and Himesh Patel’s Eurylochus, but there’s nothing particularly memorable or noteworthy about their relationship.

They don’t have a fun rapport or any distinct conversations. And we get almost nothing from anyone else, apart from occasional reaction shots and maybe the odd bit of dialogue here or there. They have no quirks, eccentricities or memorable facets to their personalities. They’re just around to move the plot along.

Unfortunately, that’s a recurring theme with most of the characters in the movie, even the ones that should stand out. Take Charlize Theron’s Calypso. Odysseus spends years eating the Lotus Flowers and living with her on the island, but for the sake of runtime, we’re really just told about it. We don’t see them spending any real time together, and she’s not even given a fully developed personality. Theron has been nominated for three Oscars and has a long track record of doing really weird and memorable things with many of her characters, and yet, she feels so subdued here.

You could go down the list and say the same thing for side character after side character. Zendaya's Athena, Jon Bernthal’s Menelaus, Lupita Nyong’o’s Helen Of Troy and Mia Goth’s maid servant, are all, in theory, key characters played by acclaimed actors who should have a memorable impact on the movie, and instead, they’re just kind of there. Sometimes they deliver really emotional and weighty dialogue, but since we’re not given time to get to know their characters, they just feel like words moving along the plot.

I can’t imagine anyone leaving The Odyssey and saying, ‘you know what side character I really loved?’ Even the ones who are in the movie for a substantial amount of time feel so shallow and without. Robert Pattinson is, I guess, trying to be a little quirky with his portrayal of Antinous, who is the stand-in for the suitors that we see the most, but he’s still ultimately a stock villain from the sleazy handbook.

Samantha Morton’s Circe and John Leguizamo’s Eumaeus are getting a bit of positive buzz, but in my opinion, they still feel semi-neutered or at least like unrealized potential. Morton is in the movie for like fifteen minutes, maybe, and chooses to go a bit more understated than the set buzz had me believe, and almost all of Leguizamo’s scenes are just an old man getting picked on and looking downtrodden (apart from that wild puppy scene).

It’s A Missed Opportunity

Once again, none of this is to say The Odyssey is a bad movie or not worth your time. It’s a good movie that is worth your time. You should go see it because it’s (for the most part) an achievement in what’s possible and has a ton of scenes that work really well. There’s so much about the film that’s worth praising, but none of it has to do with character development, which is mediocre at best for Damon's Odysseus, as well as the other two leads Anne Hathaway (who makes the most of her one-note widow) and Tom Holland (who is decent as the one-note meek son).

I don’t know how Nolan could have possibly developed all these characters in three hours, but ultimately, he picked this story and this format. Maybe it should have been two movies. Maybe it should have been a miniseries. I don’t know what the answer was, but I think we should be honest that the path he picked has obvious limitations.

It sucks that the sirens were a three minute afterthought because there wasn’t time to develop their characters. It sucks that we didn’t get more from Theron or Bernthal or Nyong’o. It sucks that Morton’s Circe was only around for like ninety seconds before she showed her true intentions. All of these characters could have been the centerpiece of entire movies or episodes or at least hour long chunks. Instead, they’re underdeveloped. Instead, they’re part of a side character problem that can’t be overlooked.

Christopher Nolan's movies are known for their epic scale and practical effects, and he's done it again with The Odyssey, which is crushing at the box office. The acclaimed book-to-screen adaptation is super ambitious, and Matt Damon recalled one wild moment on set that showed just how big of a production the latest Nolan movie truly is.

The Odyssey's reviews have been super positive, and there's already Awards Season buzz surrounding the massive blockbuster. Matt Damon movies aren't known for being on indie budgets, but the level of production on Nolan's latest shocked even him. In a video from The Today Show's Instagram, the 55-year-old actor spoke about shooting one particularly epic sequence. In his words:

Talk about a crazy day on set. Damon is no stranger to huge movies, but it sounds like The Odyssey was on another level... even for him. Christopher Nolan has a reputation for preferring practical effects over CGI, and that includes employing tons of extras when necessary. Case in point: The Dark Knight Rise's epic final battle actually had hundreds of background actors rush at each other when Bane's forces collided with Gotham's Police Department. And the scale of The Odyssey is even bigger than that Batman movie (which is streaming with an HBO Max subscription).

In the same interview, the Martian actor went on to tell the same story, and a comment by cinematographer Hoyt van Hoytema really highlighted what a huge movie they were filming. As Damon went on:

Talk about perspective. The fact that Christopher Nolan put this much money and effort into what would ultimately just be a flashback for The Odyssey proved how huge a movie it would become. That includes plenty of epic flashbacks, a stellar ensemble cast, and (of course) that wild Trojan Horse sequence.

Fans can see The Odyssey's scale for themselves as the movie is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. Spoiler alert: the movie is HUGE.

Matt Damon is a bonafide A-lister at this point, with his best movies spanning multiple genres. While this new release The Odyssey is crushing at the box office, new information is also coming out about some roles that got away. That includes two different live-action Batman movies where he could have played The Boy Wonder himself, Robin. And my mind was pretty blown from his recollection.

While Damon is an accomplished movie star, there was a time when he was still auditioning for major roles. During a clip from the Happy Sad Confused podcast, he recalled auditioning for the role of Robin in Tim Burton's Batman movies... even though that role was ultimately dropped from those titles. As he shared:

So we could have had Damon play Robin not once, but twice during the original Batman franchise (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription). While Tim Burton's two movies ultimately didn't include Dick Grayson, eventually the character would debut in Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever, before returning for the infamously campy Batman & Robin. Although the role would go to Chris O'Donnell for both of those blockbusters.

Later in the same interview, Matt Damon recalled trying out for Batman & Robin, which famously starred George Clooney. While O'Donnell had already played the role, the Martian actor explained why he was still able to audition for the beloved sidekick, saying:

Honestly, can you blame him? The entertainment industry is a tough one, and Matt Damon would have been happy to take a smaller payday in order to get the role in Batman & Robin. But in the end Chris O'Donnell would hang on to the job, which would end up being one of his most iconic roles in a long career spanning TV and film.

Given how incredible Matt Damon is as a performer, I have to wonder what he might have brought to the table as Robin opposite George Clooney's Batman. To this day we still haven't seen him in a comic book role, despite the genre's ongoing popularity... apart from his cameo in Thor: Ragnarok.

Matt Damon's The Odyssey is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. As for the Batman movies, they're all streaming over on HBO Max, including Chris O'Donnell's tenure as Robin.

Major spoilers for The Odyssey lie ahead, so read on at your own risk.

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has been acclaimed by critics, and it’s not hard to understand why. The filmmaker mostly stays true to Homer’s epic poem in this book-to-screen adaptation and sticks to the themes that make it such a timeless story. While there’s plenty of spectacle to be found, from daring sword fights to a “dank” encounter with a Cyclops, there are intimate moments that are also poignant. And, when lead actor Matt Damon spoke to CinemaBlend, he talked about being shocked by the final scenes.

At the center of the film’s story is the treacherous journey that Odysseus (Damon) and his men make in order to return home to Ithaca after The Trojan War. Odysseus is ultimately the only one to return and, in the film’s third act, he attempts to keep his identity a secret from his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland). During his interview with CB, Damon spoke about the irony or “twist” that resulted from his character actually making his way back to the aforementioned Greek island:

In time, a cloaked Odysseus finds himself having a confessional with Penelope, who’s unaware of his true identity. He then goes on to convey the shame he feels over the invasion of Troy, as it resulted in copious casualties. (One of those is even linked to Zendaya’s Athena.) For Damon, that scene was huge, and Hathaway contributed to that sense of awe in a key way:

Penelope and Odysseus’ scene is indeed an emotional gut punch, and both Damon and Hathaway act it out so beautifully. That’s a massive reason why the following scene, which sees Odysseus revealing himself and doing battle with Penelope’s various suitors, hits so hard. And, ultimately, Damon’s character doesn’t die in the film, but he emerges victorious and exiles himself. From there, he and Penelope sail west to honor the former’s fallen comrades and find solace in each other’s company.

This particular moment isn’t just a testament to the actors’ skills, but it’s also a credit to Christopher Nolan’s stellar screenplay. It’s nothing short of amazing that even throughout massive action sequences and surreal, creature-centric scenes, Nolan can still keep character at the forefront of the proceedings. As a whole, the film “walloped” me for that reason but, like Damon, I’ll also long be enamored by that reunion scene.

Check out The Odyssey, which is playing in theaters now alongside other 2026 movie schedule entries. With that, you’ll bear witness to all the tweaks Christopher Nolan made to the story as well as the scenes that ring true to the original text.

Matt Damon's been in some massive movies over the course of his career, from Good Will Hunting and Saving Private Ryan to the Bourne series and The Departed. At present, Damon headlines Christopher Nolan's latest movie, The Odyssey, for which he's received rave reviews. As great as his filmography is, not all of Damon's flicks have been hits, though. In fact, as the actor recently revealed, his daughter roasted one of them in a hilarious way.

Damon promoted his blockbuster 2026 movie schedule entry during a chat with BBC Radio 1, and a seven-year-old listener asked an most important question. The young man wanted to know: What's Damon’s worst movie? Damon was diplomatic at first, saying he once asked Clint Eastwood the same question about his films and that he responded by saying, he “loved each of them equally.” But, from there, Damon recalled how one of his four daughters jabbed a movie he shot over a decade ago:

Now, that's comedic timing! Zhang Yimou directed 2016's The Great Wall, and it sees Damon playing a European mercenary, who teams up with Chinese soldiers to take on an alien force. Ultimately, the film was panned by critics and only grossed over $334 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $150 million. Needless to say, it didn't make much of a dent -- financially or culturally -- and, apparently, Damon's daughter wasn't impressed, either.

Still, I love that Matt Damon can find the humor in his kid's critique. To that point, this isn’t even the first time the actor has been roasted by one of his daughters. Just recently, one mercilessly roasted him and best friend Ben Affleck for their red carpet poses while they were promoting their film, The Rip (which is streamable with a Netflix subscription).

On top of that, it seems the Oscar winner's kids have an interesting relationship with his work. He previously told a story about how his children only liked the movies of his that received bad reviews. And, funny enough, that inspired Daniel Radcliffe not to tell his son he played Harry Potter. Of course, Damon doesn't take his children's opinions personally. And, on the other hand, I can understand children of actors being somewhat in different to their parents' work. Honestly, I'd argue that such critiques can keep those stars humble.

Considering how Damon's kids feel about his work, though, I can't help but wonder if any of them have seen The Odyssey yet. Nolan's latest film has been critically acclaimed, with many calling it one of his best movies. Many have also already been predicting that Damon could be in major discussions amid the coming award season.

So I'd hope that at the very least Matt Damon's kids gave him kudos for his performance as Odysseus in The Odyssey and for helping to get Christopher Nolan's box office crown back. In all seriousness, though, I'd like to believe the girls are proud of their dad (even if The Great Wall is far from the best movie he's done). Those who haven't seen the historical action film and want to make up their own minds can stream it for free on Tubi now.

As part of the promotional material for new release The Odyssey (and all of its many, many formats), Universal Pictures has been taking us inside some of the filming locations the actors and crew dove into to make the movie work fully on IMAX. From 45 minute walks in full costume from base camp, to entirely novel filming locations, the 2026 movie release is epic in scale, but it was one quiet moment that actually stood out to me while watching.

In one particular scene, Matt Damon's character is looking out from the boat onto the ocean, and a pod of dolphins jumps out of the water. Given we know the movie was filmed with minimal CGI, I actually had the thought while watching, “I wonder if this was just fortuitous timing?” Turns out, it was. It also turns out they had the IMAX camera on hand to record it. Take a look.

Now, while The Odyssey team did take a (historically inaccurate Viking-looking) boat out onto the open ocean, we’ve known some of the oceanic footage was shot in a tank. There was some “close up raft stuff,” per what Damon told People and other outlets that just couldn’t have been accomplished safely out in the real water.

However, a lot of the footage we do see in the movie was realistically shot, and the majority of the movie was accomplished with practical effects rather than CGI. The dolphins are no exception. Here’s what happened:

I don’t think there’s any question: Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is a feast for the eyes. The three-hour runtime flies by, and there are so many cool and memorable scenes to look back on, you’d be forgiven if one moment that stood out to me did not stand out to you. There was a Cyclops, a field of dead men, a men-turning-into-pigs scene straight out of a horror film, and one incredible-looking oceanic whirlpool that was also reportedly built to look as realistic as possible.

Amidst that, we saw quieter moments on the ocean, one of which was a completely happy accident. It’s not the first time accidental filming has informed a movie, but it’s certainly one that’s noticeable on the big screen.

SPOILERS ahead for The Odyssey. Go see it before reading ahead!

Zendaya continues her reign over the 2026 movie schedule with the release of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. While the actress sadly has a small role in a film that’s nearly three hours long, I think she actually makes the biggest impact. I didn’t necessarily have set expectations for her role as the goddess Athena, but wow, did she steal one scene. That being said, there’s something about her character I’m not solid on.

I Think There’s Two Ways To Interpret Athena In The Odyssey

In Greek mythology, Athena is the goddess of wisdom and war. Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus sees Athena as a vision as she acts as a confidant and mentor to him. But there’s something interesting the Chris Nolan movie does with her character that really makes her presence in the rest of the movie matter more.

Close to the end of The Odyssey, Odysseus recalls his experience at Troy to his wife in more detail. He says he watched “rage” run rampant that night in a way that betrayed his own morals. As he tries to go home after the war, he finds himself emotionally fighting himself over something. Odysseus details how the use of the Trojan horse was a deceitful way to fight an opponent. And, when his soldiers invaded Troy, he’s disgusted by the way the entire city was slaughtered with little mercy, even for the likes of innocent civilians. That’s when we see the face of Zendaya as a woman Odysseus witnesses getting beheaded by his men. At the same time, a statue of Athena earns the same fate.

Since seeing The Odyssey, the sequence has had me thinking about what the moment means. Was Zendaya’s Athena showing herself to Odysseus as the woman he watched be slaughtered through Odysseus’s visions? Or was Athena disguised as a human who sent herself there in that moment to haunt him for his betrayal of the rules of war? It’s definitely a reveal I wasn’t expecting from the movie, and it's really the scene that sticks the most with me.

But, I Think It’s Left Open-Ended For A Reason?

As a longtime viewer of Christopher Nolan movies, I know that the filmmaker likes an ambiguous ending that can lead to multiple interpretations from viewers. I definitely think the whole thing with Athena falls into that camp. Is it Athena the entire movie, or does the goddess come to Odysseus as a symbol of the humanity he gave up during the Trojan War? Either way, the meaning did its job of being powerful and gut-punching. It’s also something that I want to ask more people about now after they watch it. Honestly, I’m not sure there’s one answer to the question. Maybe the fact that it feels enigmatic plays into this quote from earlier in the film:

• Odysseus: "Why can’t gods speak in ways we understand?"
• Athena: "Who doesn’t understand thunder? Or fire? A child’s smile? A good harvest?"

Early in the film, Odysseus is frustrated by the way the gods communicate. And the scene where Athena is beheaded kind of underlines both their points at the same time. While it’s not going to be talked about nearly as much as the spinning top at the end of Inception, I think it has a similar effect. I think the point is to get viewers talking about the scene because it’s kind of the big thesis moment of Nolan’s The Odyssey.

I felt that Odysseus’s epiphany about the ways in which he deviated from his own moral code was thrilling to watch in theaters. Zendaya’s Athena being part of the scene was very effective… even if I’m not totally sure if I can quite explain Athena's arc in the story completely.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have been arguing about movies together for decades, so it feels fitting that one of their old Oscar ballots has become a new topic of conversation. Long before The Matrix became required viewing for fans of the best action movies of all time and philosophy students alike, the two friends were apparently among the people trying to push it into the Best Picture race.

While promoting their 2026 movie release, the hit Netflix thriller The Rip, Damon and Affleck revisited that vote in an interview clip shared by BioWorthInfo on Instagram. In the video below, Damon recalled their support drew scoffs at the time, even though the movie was already being praised for its action and revolutionary camerawork. The surprise came later, when Damon discovered playwright and filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan had made the same choice.

Damon said the movie’s technical achievements were only part of the reason it deserved serious consideration. He and Affleck believed the Wachowskis had made something far more ambitious than a stylish action movie. Ben Affleck said the film's notion of the future" was what drew him in most, but Matt Damon I think said it best.

Affleck explained the film had anticipated major questions about technology and what human existence might look like in the future. He described it as not just one of the best movies of the '90s, but one of the most "seminal" movies ever made, and that assessment is much easier to accept now than it might have been in 1999. It certainly sounds like they stand by their Oscars vote.

That gets to the real reason their vote has aged so well. Bullet time was the shiny hook in 1999, but the movie’s ideas kept spreading long after audiences stopped wondering how the camera moved around Neo. The Matrix imagined people living through constructed digital identities, trusting systems they barely understood and struggling to distinguish physical experience from manufactured reality. Those questions sound less like science fiction with every passing year.

The Matrix did not receive a Best Picture nomination for the 1999 movie year. American Beauty won the top prize at the 72nd Academy Awards, while The Matrix competed in four technical categories and won all four: film editing, sound, sound effects editing and visual effects.

That sweep proves the Academy recognized how expertly the movie was made. Damon and Affleck were arguing for something more ambitious because they were ahead of the curve and realized that the action-heavy science-fiction movie could also be the year’s defining artistic achievement. This was still a difficult case to make in an awards culture that often treated genre filmmaking as a technical playground rather than Best Picture material.

The fact that Lonergan, writer and director of the heartbreaking Manchester by the Sea, reportedly reached the same conclusion also makes the story more interesting. Damon and Affleck were not simply two young actors dazzled by leather coats and impossible stunts, but a dramatist known for intimate, character-driven work saw its Best Picture value, too. That's a party I wouldn't mind being in.

More than 25 years later, their “unpopular opinion” barely sounds controversial. The Matrix altered action filmmaking, gave popular culture a new visual language and built its thrills around questions audiences are still wrestling with. (Though some people would love to have skipped the sequels.) Damon and Affleck did not vote for a future classic because they knew exactly where technology was heading, but instead recognized that the movie was already asking the right questions.

Fans can check out the Good Will Hunting writing and acting duo in their own action film, The Rip, with their Netflix subscription. Or, if you want to revisit the groundbreaking The Matrix, you'll need to rent it with an Amazon Prime subscription.

Christopher Nolan is easily one of the greatest filmmakers of our time and, in a way, he’s also one of the most eclectic. The Oscar-winning writer/director is known for having a no-phone policy on set for his cast and crew members. Additionally, Nolan himself doesn’t have a cellphone or email, leading to questions about how he contacts actors for new projects. I’m one of the many who has wondered about this and, thankfully, we now have an answer, thanks to one of Nolan’s collaborators.

Matt Damon has worked with Nolan on three films – Interstellar, Oppenheimer and most recently the 2026 movie release The Odyssey. The leading man – who plays Odysseus in the fantasy epic – recently recalled how he learned Nolan wanted him in the movie. As Damon explains to People, the Dark Knight helmer obviously has a bit of help when it comes to reaching out to stars, considering the lack of tech he uses. Unsurprisingly, one of his closest (and most crucial) collaborators manages to fill the gap for him:

Aside from being Nolan’s longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas is also his wife of 29 years. Considering Thomas’ professional position, her being the first point of contact honestly makes sense regardless of her husband having a phone and email or not. It sounds like the studio Nolan is working with – Universal in this case – also serves as the place from where he’ll phone an actor. It’s been (rightfully) said that filmmaking is a collaboration and, in Nolan’s case, that’s definitely true when it comes to reaching out to actors.

It may be hard to get a hold of Nolan, given his lack of electronic communication methods but, when he does come calling, it’s certainly a big moment. Damon may have worked with Nolan before getting his Odyssey call, but he was still surprised when the director reached out to say he was working on something else:

And, of course, Damon eventually found himself back on set with Nolan and leading a production that’s massive in scale. The experience wasn’t easy, of course, as Damon even talked about being “wet” and “cold” for good portions of the shot. Nevertheless, the Good Will Hunting star also said he relished the opportunity to make such a grand film in a practical way. And, all the while, phones still weren’t allowed on set as fellow cast member Tom Holland previously confirmed.

What should be known, though, is that Christopher Nolan doesn’t impose that no-phone rule on his sets so that actors simply fall in line with his own habits. It seems he simply wants a focused team and, having seen the critically acclaimed The Odyssey myself, I’d say everyone was locked in. I’m not sure if Nolan himself will ever join the fray and get a phone or email address. But, as long as he can communicate with others as needed (whether personally or professionally), I’m here for him sticking to his no-tech ideology.

Check out The Odyssey, which is now playing in theaters nationwide.

Spoilers for The Odyssey can be found throughout this article, and this comment is not a Trojan horse. Don't say I didn't warn you!

A lot of people like to refer to The Odyssey as a Greek tragedy. However, if you’re familiar with the original writing or have seen Christopher Nolan’s work, you should know it’s an Epic poem and not a tragedy. In fact, the 2026 movie release version has a happy ending, though the characters go through trials and tribulations in the years leading up to the end.

The one big question Christopher Nolan’s new Odyssey movie doesn’t answer is one fans have been asking as the movie premieres: What was Odysseus’ ultimate fate?

Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey Ends On A Hopeful Note … Sort Of

After cleverly constructing the Trojan horse and invading Troy, Odysseus (played by a very bearded Matt Damon) and his men are ready to return home to Ithaca. Eager to do so as quickly as possible, they take a less-trodden path, and it turns out to be a disastrous decision, at least for the crew. Odysseus’ men are picked off through various trials and tribulations, including a run-in with a Cyclops, succumbing to sirens, and angering a god after eating his sacred cows.

The god's anger causes the crew's ship to be broken apart, and Odysseus washes up alone, spending nearly seven years with Calypso (Charlize Theron) before he is ultimately able to journey back to Ithaca. Back home, he challenges and murders the suitors who had been sniffing around, reunites with his family, and reclaims his throne. He treaties with his wife Penelope and tells her of the horrors he feels are coming to mankind following the Trojan War, but says they will brave them together.

Nolan’s The Odyssey ends with Odysseus and Penelope (Anne Hathaway) literally sailing into the sunset, hoping to sail off and pay tribute to the ones he lost along his journey. I do love that the movie ends on a peaceful note after so much devastation (even though the boat scenes themselves were rough to film in this movie). It feels earned despite Odysseus’ worries about the age of man and what is coming ahead.

The Fate Of Odysseus And How He Dies, According To The Lore

Christopher Nolan’s movie does miss key points in The Odyssey, and its changes from Homer's work have been widely debated. In one change, Odysseus reunites with Penelope thanks to an icon he carried, when in Homer's work she asks him to move an immovable bed. In the poem, there’s another subplot similar to the one with Zeus’ cows in the movie in which Odysseus’ crew unleashes some wind from a bag that had been gifted to Odysseus to help them on their journey home. This is left out of the movie.

In a third example, we do meet Circe (Samantha Morton) in Nolan's film, but that storyline is stuffed into one day. In Homer’s work, Odysseus charms Circe, and he and his men stay on her island for a year. This is actually an important distinction for reasons that will become clear.

There was once another poem following The Iliad and The Odyssey that chronicled what happened next. It’s called The Telegony; it was not written by Homer, and it’s been lost to history. However, subsequent versions of Odysseus’ tale explain what is essentially the sequel to The Odyssey. In this version, Circe and Odysseus have at least one child together, a son named Telegonus (not to be confused with Telemachus, whom Tom Holland plays in Nolan’s film).

Telegonus grows up with Circe, and upon entering manhood, goes out into the world to seek his father. Various versions of the story exist after this. In one, a prophecy that he'd be killed by his son has made Odysseus an embittered and suspicious old man, one who’d sent Telemachus away thinking that child would be his undoing. Yet it’s Telegonus who appears and kills Odysseus.

In another, Telegonus raids Ithaca thinking he is elsewhere on the planet. Many versions of this story end with Telegonus killing his dad without realizing he’s killed the very person he was seeking. Odysseus’ fate is to die at the hands of a son he didn’t even know. This story is the one that is very much the tragedy.

So, I see why that’s not the note Nolan wanted to end on. Plus, given the movie's three-hour runtime, I don't think this movie could have realistically handled another storyline. However, if this version of the story piques your interest, Madeline Miller rewrote it beautifully in her novel Circe, a book I would very much recommend.

Ultimately, the way Nolan weaves his story gives us more than just many vivid set pieces. We really feel like we’re with Odysseus through this long and convoluted journey, and we’re rooting for him to get home. It’s complicated, of course. The man can’t just walk in and reclaim his fiefdom. His return is marred by violence, and he knows there are bad things still to come. But we want him to find his place with Penelope, and live out their dream of sailing off into an unknown future.

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is one of the biggest releases on the 2026 movie calendar, and I can already tell that the movie is going to get review-bombed once the major review sites like Rotten Tomatoes open up. The movie, which hits IMAX screens this weekend, was immediately controversial for all kinds of reasons once the cast list was revealed and the first trailer dropped earlier this year. Well, I’ve seen the movie, and I think the controversies are way overblown.

People Want To Hate This Movie

A couple of weeks ago, when Universal dropped the final trailer for The Odyssey, it was immediately hit with hostility. Internet denizens immediately “ratioed” the YouTube video–meaning downvoting it with the hopes of burying it in the algorithm. As of this writing, the trailer video is sitting on more than 780,000 downvotes (to just 83,000 thumbs up). Some of that might just be a herd mentality to get in on the fun, but there is plenty of evidence out there in comment sections and editorials that people are not happy with the movie Nolan has made. At least, the movie they think Nolan has made.

If you haven’t read much into it, there are a few different buckets of complaints that have people fired up. The first is historically based. This is a group of people who are critical of the armor worn by Odysseus (Matt Damon) and his men being incorrect for the Bronze Age, and the style of ship they are using to travel home from the Trojan War.

There is another bucket of people who are upset that the casting didn’t include more Greek actors, and, more pointedly, people who are upset that actors like Elliot Page and Lupita Nyong’o are in the movie at all. There is a third bucket of critics who don’t like some of the casual nature of the dialogue Nolan has used in his screenplay (and I actually fall into this category).

Let me tell you, all of these are all overblown.

Some Criticisms Are Just Not Right

Even before I saw the movie, I wasn’t all that concerned that these criticisms would affect how much I would enjoy it. After seeing it, I feel the same, with a small caveat. For starters, I think some of the criticisms are totally fair to discuss, like the armor, boats, and the dialogue, which I’ll get into. The casting “controversies” are not fair. This is a myth told by a modern filmmaker for a modern audience; as far as I'm concerned, anyone can play anyone.

The race and ethnicity of the actors is of zero concern for me. Less than zero. It’s no different than Kenneth Branagh casting Denzel Washington in his 1993 Shakespearean masterpiece Much Ado About Nothing. Is it period-accurate casting for Elizabethan England? Of course not, but Washington is one of the best actors ever, so I’m happy to see him in anything, especially doing Shakespeare. The same goes for all of the actors in the stacked cast of The Odyssey.

Others' Criticisms Are Fair In The Right Context

When it comes to the historical nature of some complaints, I have more sympathy. I’m not a historian or a classicist, but I do really appreciate it when movies based on real history take that responsibility seriously. That said, the inaccuracy of the armor worn by the Greeks and the ships they traveled on really didn’t bother me in the slightest. I knew it wasn’t period-correct for what soldiers wore in Bronze Age Greece, but they looked cool, and a movie should look cool!

It looks great, and it honestly is more what I think of as “ancient” armor. Frankly, just look at an example of Bronze Age armor, the kind that would be period appropriate, and tell me it’s not hilarious looking. The armor looks ridiculous to a modern eye, and using it probably would have been way more distracting for most people in the audience (all due respect to the historians in the audience). In that regard, the ships match the armor.

Now, when it comes to the dialogue, well, honestly, I’m kind of with the complainers here. I didn’t like some of the overly casual nature of some of the lines. One thing that has been particularly focused on by some critics is Telemachus (Tom Holland) calling his parents “mom” and “dad.” I didn’t think that was going to bug me, but it did. It really took me out of the movie at times. Again, this is a modern filmmaker making a movie for a modern audience, so I’m not expecting Ancient Greek or anything, but there is a formality to the society in the story, and using words like “mom” and “dad” just felt out of step with that formality.

Nolan’s use of more casual modern language might not be my favorite creative decision here, but it hardly ruins the movie. It didn’t even factor in when I woke up this morning and wrote down my thoughts about the movie after sleeping on it. The Odyssey isn’t a perfect movie, by any means, but it is still one of the best of the year, and certainly one of my favorites. There are some choices I can nitpick, and a couple of places here or there where Nolan’s ambitious decision to film exclusively in IMAX may have actually hurt the overall product, but it’s so grand in scope and vision that those things are easily dismissed for the greater good.

This Is All Overblown

It's worth noting that the actors who seem to have upset a lot of people, namely Page and Nyong’o, and to a lesser extent Travis Scott and Zendaya, don’t really have huge parts. Their collective screentime is minimal compared to Damon, Holland, and Anne Hathaway. More importantly, though, is that they are all legitimately great in their roles. Travis Scott’s role is an addition to the story that I really loved.

While we don't all have to agree with the artistic choices in this book-to-screen adaptation, like the casting, the language, and the costumes, I do really appreciate that Nolan and company are taking a big swing here. So please, don’t listen to the peanut gallery chirping from the sidelines without having actually seen the movie.

With Matt Damon starring in The Odyssey, which arrives in theaters, now seems like the perfect time to look back on some of Damon's memorable films. If you want to ace this crossword puzzle, you'll need to be familiar with some oFor this week's movie quiz, we'll provide a quote from one of his movie characters and you tell us what movie it's from.

Can you solve all of the clues in the crossword puzzle below?

The Odyssey has been one of my most anticipated 2026 movies. That being said, I rolled my eyes at the runtime of two hours and 52 minutes after I got my ticket. Christopher Nolan’s latest film isn’t his longest movie – that would be Best Picture winner Oppenheimer – but objectively, that’s too long to sit in a movie theater. That is, unless the movie earns it. Well, did The Odyssey? I have thoughts.

Is The Odyssey’s Long Runtime A Problem?

Don’t get me wrong, some of the best movies I’ve ever seen are around three hours. But, right before I go out and see one, I get kind of stressed out. I usually like to get concessions for a movie like The Odyssey. Ugh, but when the moment comes when I have to use the restroom, it’s a tough call. I then have to make the decision to sit there in pain or try to figure out the right time when I can step away.

I’ll never forget when I went to see Dune: Part One. I ended up leaving to use the facilities when a certain character dies. It kind of messed up my first viewing. And then on the other hand, buying a premium movie ticket for something that ends up being both bad and long just sucks. Or, what if I end up sitting close to someone smelly or with a severe phone addiction?

There’s an easy fix for this. I think long movies need to have intermissions like they used to in the old days. Since that doesn’t seem to be on the table, I wince at long movie runtimes. In the case of The Odyssey, I’m very happy to report that I took no issue with it. Personally, I didn’t look at my watch until two hours into it, and the last hour was awesome. (Sure, it also helps that in-movie bathroom decision gods smiled on me that evening).

Personally, I wouldn’t have cut a single scene. If anything, I would have even sat through more! I’m thinking about going to see it again, and let me tell you, that’s very much a rarity for me to say these days. Critics have also been kind to The Odyssey, with the movie currently holding a 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

What My CinemaBlend Colleagues Thought About The Runtime

As I mentioned before, a three-hour movie only works for me if it earns it. And, there was definitely enough within the pages of Homer’s The Odyssey for Nolan to adapt. Plus, he had to make tweaks to the source material to fit into one movie as is. I was curious about what my co-workers thought about the runtime. Here’s what a few of them said:

• “I love long movies when they are well constructed like The Odyssey. Because of the nature of the source material, the movie flows really well from scene to scene, and I don't think it drags at all.” - Hugh Scott, Syndication Editor
• “The Odyssey kept my attention for the entire 3 hours with its fast-paced storytelling and stunning visuals. If I had my way, it would have been 5 or 6 hours and split into two movies in order to more fully develop the side characters.” - Mack Rawden, Editor-In-Chief
• “I get why it's not two movies so that Nolan could end on a high note, but I thought the runtime was too long. I would definitely have taken two movies.” - Jessica Rawden, Managing Editor
• “I'm always wary of long movies; however, I didn't check my watch once watching The Odyssey. Those three hours flew by, and I was left wishing there was more time to dive even deeper into the story.” - Riley Utley, Weekend Editor

Of course, there’s a range of opinions here regarding the specifics, but overall I think we have a consensus: The Odyssey’s runtime works! If you, too, found yourself unsure about venturing to see it because of its length, I hope this helps reassure you it’s worth it. I know I would have appreciated knowing this before heading into it.

Zendaya has landed some major roles during her career and, funny enough, many of them just happen to fall on the 2026 movie schedule. What wasn’t a laughing matter, though, was the sheer amount of coordination necessary for the A-lister to be in a whopping four movies that have or will be released this year. Not to mention she also had to shoot a certain TV show. Matt Damon, her co-star on Christopher Nolan’s historical drama, spoke about her schedule with CinemaBlend, and I really like how he describes it.

This year, the former Disney Channel star has or will appear in The Odyssey, The Drama, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Dune Part Three as well as the since-ended HBO drama Euphoria. In Nolan’s movie, she plays the role of the goddess Athena, who guides Matt Damon’s Odysseus amid his journey home to Ithaca. While speaking to CinemaBlend alongside co-star Anne Hathaway, Damon showered praise upon Zendaya and made note of how frequently she had to dip in and out of the set:

“Parachute in” is a funny way for the Oscar winner to put it, but it’s actually quite accurate, given what’s known about his co-star’s wild shooting schedule. Zendaya previously talked about working on Odyssey, Dune 3 and Euphoria simultaneously. As she recalled, she could have a night shoot on a ranch for her TV show and would then have to memorize her Chakobsa dialogue for Denis Villeneuve’s threequel. And, from there, she’d travel to Iceland to shoot her material for Nolan’s film.

The idea of having a schedule like that just seems nerve-wracking to me but, then again, I’m not a seasoned performer like the Challengers alum. And, to top it off, she and her stylist – Law Roach – were already planning out her looks for the respective press tours this year. Their hard work seems to be paying off now, though, as Zendaya has sported some particularly fresh fits while promoting The Odyssey. Most recently, at the film’s New York premiere, she wore a feathered gown that Roach went to great lengths to coordinate.

Of course, the Malcolm & Marie star’s preparation for her acting work also paid off, and that was certainly the case with her work on Christopher Nolan’s set. Matt Damon previously revealed that Nolan gave the Athena actress a major compliment, as she was the only star on set to get a “perfect” from him after finishing a scene. That praise even served as a humorous point of contention for Damon and Tom Holland, the starlet’s husband.

So what’s next for Zendaya you might ask? Well, she’ll soon mark the release of her fourth Spider-Man movie and will promote Dune: Part Three later this year. After this big year of hers concludes, she’s “disappearing for a little bit.” I’d say that after having to “parachute in” and out of projects for a year and then promote them the following year, I’d say she’s more than earned it. For now, check her out in The Odyssey, which opens in theaters on July 17.

Saturday Night Live’s host lineup is always impressive each season. Even after over 50 years, the producers of the show manage to attract some excellent talent to Studio 8H. Season 51 saw a mixture of first-timers and veterans, including Matt Damon. The Saving Private Ryan star hosted for the third time in May, and he recently opened up about what got him to host the first time, and I can’t argue with his reasoning.

Damon made his SNL hosting debut back in October 2002 for the Season 28 premiere. Even though it’s been 24 years, the actor still remembers that week like it was yesterday. He recalled on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast what it was like getting the call about SNL all those years ago. He was initially confused about why he'd get the gig, because he had nothing coming out at the time. (The Bourne Identity had just released that summer.) However, his agent had a sure-fire way to talk him into saying yes:

I've always wondered what it's like for an SNL host to headline an episode when they're a massive fan of the night's musical guest. Bruce Springsteen is a pretty darn good reason to host Saturday Night Live, so I can’t say I blame Damon for immediately jumping on board after hearing that he’d be the musical guest. Of course, I can't help but think that Damon would have agreed to host SNL at some point even if Springsteen wasn’t the musical guest. Either way, I'd say everything worked out well for Damon (and his agent).

Even though he made his hosting debut in 2002, Damon made his SNL debut in 2001, and Springsteen was not involved. He cameoed during Gwyneth Paltrow’s episode in Season 27, so he had a taste of what to expect when he agreed to host. However, I get Damon’s initial reservations, as he didn’t have anything else coming out, meaning he couldn’t really do any self-promo, and the season premiere is a big deal.

During his most recent hosting gig in May, though, Damon did have something to promote. He is part of the star-studded ensemble cast for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, an upcoming 2026 movie that has everyone buzzing. The epic fantasy flick is releasing in theaters on Friday, and Damon is hyped as well. Due to his lead role as Odysseus, Damon was put through the wringer and talked about being cold and wet at times during the shoot. However, the leading man also seemed to relish the experience and even got to reunite with Charlize Theron, who he first worked with on The Legend of Bagger Vance.

While waiting for The Odyssey, fans take a step back in time, so to speak and watch Matt Damon’s first-ever episode of Saturday Night Live with a Peacock subscription. His subsequent episodes during Seasons 44 and 51 are also available to stream, along with his many cameos. And, of course, be sure to check out Bruce Springsteen's performance in the first of those episodes.

With Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey (which I'm eagerly anticipating) right around the corner, I thought it an opportune time to talk about Nolan’s other Odyssey movie - that being of the space variety, a.k.a. Interstellar.

While Interstellar isn’t exactly Nolan’s version of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, many would say that it’s just as ambitious in scope as what many consider to be Kubrick’s best movie. In fact, a lot of people consider Interstellar (which you can watch with a Paramount+ subscription) to be Nolan’s best movie, with this website even putting it at number one when we ranked his films.

However, even though I write for this website, I have NEVER been of the opinion that Interstellar was Nolan’s best. In fact, I genuinely think it’s one of his worst (though not as bad as Tenet), and for multiple reasons. Here are just a few. And yes, there are spoilers ahead!

I Always Found The Whole S-T-A-Y Scene To Be Predictable And Mawkish

There was a moment when I first saw Interstellar that was make-or-break for me. Early on in the film, Murphy, who is Cooper’s daughter, thinks there’s a ghost in her room. One such incident sees books knocked on Murphy’s floor, seemingly out of nowhere, and it spells out “S-T-A-Y” in Morse code.

Now, when I first saw this movie, I made a quick-time decision. In my head, I thought, this “ghost” is probably Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) communicating with his daughter from the future, because that’s a very sci-fi concept, especially when you’re dealing with time dilation, which I figured this movie was probably heading toward since it dealt with black holes. So, I was like, if this IS Cooper sending this message back to his daughter, I’m going to hate this movie because that’s really obvious. If it’s NOT what I predict, then this movie might have a shot at being good with me.

And…it was exactly what I predicted. Cooper found himself in a tesseract toward the end, and he was telling himself to stay and not go on this mission, which I found super mawkish and lame. I mean, one reason I used to love Nolan was that he was unflinching, and even cruel at times in his storytelling. The Prestige, which is my favorite Nolan movie, is fascinating, but also stark, with nary a maudlin moment. The same goes for Inception, which ends ambiguously, so we don’t know if it’s a happy ending or not.

Interstellar just feels…cheesy to me, and that’s not a word that I ever thought I would associate with Nolan until this movie.

I Genuinely Don't Like Any Of The Characters

Another problem I have with this film is that I don’t care about any of the characters. I usually like McConaughey, but Cooper is so bland in this movie, and I have no idea why. His children, who we see both as young (Mackenzie Foy and Timothee Chalamet), and as adults (Jessica Chastain and Casey Affleck, respectively) don’t do anything for me, and I’m sorry to say this, but I don’t care if they die on earth or not. They just never moved me in any way.

Anne Hathaway plays a NASA scientist floating around with McConaughey, but I don’t find her interesting, even WITH her being the daughter of Michael Caine’s character, who I feel also isn’t interesting. Heck, I don’t even like Matt Damon as the, I guess you can call him the “bad guy” of the film (And get this. His name is Dr. Hugh Mann…Get it? Hu-man? Oh, brother). Damon appears late in the film trying to get back home (Hmmm…wasn’t Damon in another space movie like that?), and he fudges the numbers in order to get a lift back.

Look. I know Nolan isn't always on his A game when it comes to crafting interesting characters. Shoot, if it weren't for films like Memento, Insomnia, and Oppenheimer, I might even suggest that Nolan is kind of…lacking when it comes to characterization. Interstellar (and Tenet. Remember when John David Washington's character was simply known as…The Protagonist?) is still on another level when it comes to weak characters.

Which wouldn't be such a bad thing if this movie felt sterile and cold like 2001, but it doesn't. It's supposed to find the Hugh-Mann-ity (I’m sorry) in the vastness of space, and it just…doesn't. Not for me, anyway.

I Thought Nolan Somehow Made Even Wormholes And Black Holes Boring

When we first heard that Tenet was going to be about entropy, I was like, cool. I don’t really know what entropy is, but I know it has something to do with time travel since that’s what Primer was about, too…I think. Anyway, if Nolan used to do anything well in his career, it was to take these scientific concepts and make them interesting.

So, when we learned that black holes would play a significant role in Interstellar, I was game. I mean, Nolan made a dream machine cool in Inception, and he turned Batman on his pointy head with the Dark Knight trilogy by making it “realistic,” so I was looking forward to Nolan’s take on black holes.

Until I saw the movie, and was just bored by it. Yes, it pays to watch Interstellar on as big a screen as possible, but besides some of the visuals being kind of interesting, I think Nolan made black holes a little boring.

It’s a visual feast for the eyes, and, as my late mother once said, “Really cool if you were on something.” However, the wormhole and black hole scenes in Interstellar are just kind of…mid. I don’t know how else to put it. How Nolan made such cool concepts boring, I don’t know, but he did.

I Also Didn't Think Any Of The Planets Explored Were All That Interesting

There was this video game that came out a few years back called Starfield, and even though I didn’t play it, one complaint I kept seeing over and over again from critics was that there were so many planets (like, 1000 or something), but there was virtually nothing to do on them. They were just, like, there, and you could explore them, but why would you even want to?

Now, maybe this has been updated since its 2023 launch, but I get a similar feeling with Interstellar, as there are three planets that are visited - Miller’s Planet, Mann’s Planet, and Edmunds’ Planet - and they’re all even more boring than the last.

Miller’s Planet is the ocean one with the huge waves, and even though it’s cool that time goes faster there…it’s still just a water planet. It looks like something you might find on Earth. The same goes for Mann’s Planet, as it’s just a cold planet, which is dull. And then you have Edmunds’ Planet, which is another bland place, but this one seems suitable for habitation.

That’s it. Like the rest of the film, I’m just left underwhelmed, and this is made worse with a rewatch, as I already know how dull the planets are, so there’s nothing to look forward to. I mean, I don’t know. People love this movie so much, and I just don’t see what the big deal is. Hopefully the actual The Odyssey will be much better (and I’ve heard good things!), because Nolan’s space odyssey? This just ain’t it, man.

Matt Damon became an overnight success story when he and best buddy Ben Affleck, won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting. After that, Damon took on the title role in Steven Spielberg's WWII epic, Saving Private Ryan, after ER’s Noah Wyle turned it down. Damon was a perfect fit for the role, but it turns out he owes Good Will Hunting co-star Robin Williams for helping him land the part.

Noah Wyle turned down Steven Spielberg flick due to his obligations to ER, which was disappointing for him at the time. However, Wyle has since praised Matt Damon for his performance in the film and said he was right for the role. As for the circumstances behind how he landed the gig, Damon spoke about that on Outstanding Screenplays. Apparently, this heartwarming story all starts with Robin performing a cool gesture for Damon and Affleck:

Talk about being at the right place at the right time! If a star knows that THE Steven Spielberg is shooting his own movie in proximity to theirs, I can understand not wanting to pass up the chance to meet him. But not only did Williams arrange a little meet-and-greet between Damon and the E.T. director, but that also sparked a memory on the latter's part. As Damon explained:

Sending in an audition tape is certainly one way to land a part, but I there's even greater power in meeting a filmmaker face-to-face (if a person gets the chance, of course). I can also understand why Spielberg would want Damon after seeing his work in Courage Under Fire. The film tells the true story of a young loyal soldier who endures the agony having to watch his men die, but still dedicates himself to his duty for his country. Damon's great in it and, in hindsight, it was definitely a proving ground for him when it came to Private Ryan.

This story is also a testament to the Bourne star's relationship with the late Robin Williams, who had a profound effect on him. Two years after Williams' death, Damon spoke of honoring the Mork & Mindy actor by sitting on the famed Boston Commons bench the two sat in for their movie together. Damon's also praised Williams as a collaborator and has avidly credited him for coming up with Good Will Hunting's final line.

It's been said that in some cases, things happen for a reason, and I'd like to think everything worked out well for both Matt Damon and Noah Wyle. And, today, Saving Private Ryan stands as one of Damon's best performances. Feel free to watch the Steven Spielberg historical drama using a Paramount+ subscription, and Good Will Hunting is available on the platform as well.

Christopher Nolan’s next film, The Odyssey, is still a few days away from hitting the 2026 movie schedule, but for months it's been in the firing line for angry people on the internet. I know it’s best to stay out of the comment section, but sometimes I can’t help myself. It doesn’t take long when I do dip my toes in to see some of the major complaints that people have even before seeing the movie. I have to say, none of these are concerns of mine. I remain highly optimistic about this epic that is about to unfold for all of us seeing the movie next week.

The Casting Seems To Be The Focus Of Many Commenters’ Ire

There is no question that Nolan has assembled one heck of a cast. Matt Damon leads the movie as Odysseus. Anne Hathaway is playing his wife, Penelope. Tom Holland is playing Telemachus, his son. Joining them, we’ve got stars like Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Samantha Morton (who has apparently killed it with her performance), and Jon Bernthal, along with many others. It’s stacked. There are two or three cast members who have some people upset, and it makes no sense.

Lupita Nyong'o (Helen of Troy), John Leguizamo (Eumaeus), and Elliot Page (Sinon) have drawn the most wrath, and Travis Scott (playing a bard) has also taken some shots. Of course, it’s easy to see why these four have been in the firing line, and frankly, I think it’s all silly (and offensive, of course). The Odyssey is a myth. It’s not history. Historical accuracy should take a backseat to storytelling in this case. Helen of Troy wasn’t a real person, so why does it matter if the actress playing the character doesn’t look Greek or Spartan? Nyong'o certainly fits the description of being beautiful, and she is one of the most talented actresses in the world. That’s by far enough for me.

The Accents, Armor, And Ships Are Also Popular Complaints

The second most common whine is that the armor Odysseus and his men wear is not period-accurate. I’m all for historical accuracy in film; in fact, it’s often a deciding factor in whether I like a movie or not (I’m looking at you, Napoleon), but again, this is a myth. I don’t care that Damon and his cohorts are dressed in armor that doesn’t fit the age. That’s not the point of the story here. Let’s be honest, period-accurate armor looks rather ridiculous, and so making it look “cooler” is just fine by me. The same goes for the ships used by our hero and his men. Yeah, they look more like Viking ships than boats from ancient Greece, but again, this story is a myth, so why care?

Another popular refrain seems to be that all of the actors are using American accents in the movie, even the Brits. I have to say, again, why is this something people are mad about? They aren’t speaking ancient Greek in this modern telling of the myth, either. No one is upset about that, because everyone understands why the movie is in English, so what does it matter which accents are being used? Nolan apparently was looking for consistency, and so this decision makes total sense. This is seriously just complaining to complain.

Luckily for me, none of these creative decisions bother me in the slightest, and I can say that this is by far my most anticipated movie of the summer.

Matt Damon totally just blew my mind by dropping some unexpected BTS trivia about Pedro Pascal. It’s hard to imagine a time when Pascal wasn’t “even a day player” since practically everyone knows who he is thanks to playing The Mandalorian, Mister Fantastic, and Joel in The Last of Us. But there was a time when the actor spent years doing random parts before hitting celebrity status.

That time apparently included a part in The Adjustment Bureau, starring Damon and Emily Blunt. And despite the small part, Damon knew Pascal was a freaking star years before the rest of the world caught on. Somehow I’m not surprised that Damon was impressed. He revealed the story when he stopped by The Howard Stern Show:

Damon’s not the only one who thinks that he's "really good.” I think we can all agree that there’s a reason Pascal has become so beloved. And it’s not just because of baby Yoda. He’s so good as the Mandalorian that people want to know just how long he’s going to play the part.

It's always fun to see stories like this to remind us that celebrities all started somewhere. And for Damon to share this story about Pascal, it adds further proof as to why the latter is always working. He even has a romance with Danny Ramirez coming out soon. But I think Damon describes Pascal's star power best:

Maybe that's the best way to describe why so many love Pedro Pascal. His roles as Joel, the Mandalorian, and Mister Fantastic have all felt real. It doesn't matter if he's in a post apocalyptic world or in space, he gives a performance that's believable. And fans have become protective over his roles, specifically Last of Us fans who couldn't imagine anyone else in that part. Additionally, there's his memorable roles in Game of Thrones, Wonder Woman 1984 and more

Damon's story reminds me of the time I learned Pascal was in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was a small part that included his character being killed and becoming a vampire, but it was a role that helped keep him in Hollywood. I guess we have Buffy to thank for all of the amazing Pascal roles we’ve seen the last few years.

The actor has become synonymous with certain roles thanks to fandoms, but there are several TV roles that you may have forgotten. For instance, I recently re-watched the Burn Notice TV movie and was shocked to see Pascal in one of the antagonist roles. He was even in an unaired Wonder Woman pilot. And now Damon has me wanting to go see what other Pascal roles I can dig up.

Director Christopher Nolan's movies are known for their massive scale and epic stories, and moviegoers will soon be treated to his take on Homer's The Odyssey. The book-to-screen adaptation features an all-star cast led by Matt Damon, who got ripped to play Odysseus on the big screen. And a video recently dropped of co-star Robert Pattinson absolutely gushing about The Martian actor's abs.

What we know about The Odyssey has been limited, but those who read Homer's Greek epic have an idea about what plot points are coming. The Odyssey's trailer showed how badass Damon looks, but in an interview with ET, Pattinson spoke about how fit he looked IRL. You can check out the clip below:

Talk about a glowing response. Clearly, Matt Damon's physical transformation was significant enough that his co-stars were shocked by just how ripped he got to play the protagonist of The Odyssey. Pattinson got jacked for The Batman, but even he was shocked by how defined the 55-year-old actor's abs were on the movie's set. One can only imagine how hulking and strong he'll look on the big screen when Nolan's movie hits theaters later this month.

While it's fun to see just how worked up Robert Pattinson got about Matt Damon's abs, reading his comments is similarly delightful. He spoke about his co-star's insane abdominal muscles, offering:

Talk about impressive. It's one thing for abs to show when one is shirtless or wearing something tight, but Robert Pattinson was flabbergasted by how Matt Damon's muscles were visible even when he was wearing a loose T-shirt. And I can't wait to see how the actor's hulking physique translates and elevates the action sequences in The Odyssey in particular.

We've previously heard reports about how much work Matt Damon put into his physical transformation, reducing his weight to 167 pounds of lean muscle. This took an intense gym and diet regimen, including cutting out gluten completely. It sounds like those efforts paid off, and luckily fans will be able to judge for themselves when The Odyssey hits theaters later this month. There is a ton of hype surrounding the blockbuster right now, thanks to its insane ensemble cast and Christopher Nolan's reputation as a filmmaker. Luckily, the wait is nearly over for it to finally arrive on the big screen.

The Odyssey will be released on July 17th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Aside from Matt Damon's abs, the movie will also feature the talents of Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong'o, and more.

Christopher Nolan is not exactly known for handing out praise like Halloween candy. Part of his public image is built on precision, intensity and the sense that getting a simple “good” from him on set might feel like winning a tiny acting Oscar. So when Zendaya apparently earned a “perfect” while making the forthcoming The Odyssey, Matt Damon and Tom Holland were in their feelings. What I did not see coming was Nolan trolling them this hard.

Damon has worked with the prestigious filmmaker multiple times, while Holland is joining the director’s orbit for the first time in the upcoming 2026 movie release. Apparently the director’s praise for Zendaya became a talking point on set. Rotten Tomatoes shared a clip from Fandango’s Big Ticket interview on Instagram, where Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Matt Damon and Nolan sat down to discuss the new movie. During the conversation, the cast brought up Nolan’s praise for Zendaya’s performance as Athena in The Odyssey. You can see the post below.

The setup here comes from Damon, who previously talked about what it was like to work with the Oppenheimer director and how rare that kind of praise apparently is. According to the writer and star of Good Will Hunting, Nolan is not a director who showers actors with excessive praise. A “good” from him means you did the job. A “great” sounds like it might require paperwork. So when Zendaya got “perfect,” Damon and Holland were basically left staring at each other like two kids who just found out someone else got extra recess.

The Rip performer summed up the jealousy pretty beautifully. He said:

That is such a specific actor complaint, and I love it. Damon is an Oscar-winning performer who has been in some of the biggest movies of the last few decades, and yet here he is, spiritually pacing the set because Zendaya unlocked the rare Nolan achievement badge. Holland apparently joined him in the grievance, which makes the whole thing even better. Imagine two major movie stars comparing report cards while the young Dune actress is off somewhere being Athena.

Then the Oscar-winning filmmaker was asked which scene of Zendaya’s had earned the “perfect,” and this is where the whole thing becomes glorious. He could have answered seriously. He could have named a specific scene, talked about the emotional weight of the moment or given some thoughtful director explanation. Instead, he delivered this:

For the Euphoria star, that is an enormous compliment. She is playing Athena, which is already a pretty intimidating assignment, and hearing Nolan speak about her performance that way is no small thing. The role puts her in the middle of one of literature’s biggest stories, surrounded by a massive cast that includes Damon, Holland and a whole fleet of major names.

Of course, this is not where the auteur filmmaker left things. He continued:

Okay, the Dark Knight director has jokes. Everyone is laughing, but it must be quietly devastating, because Nolan does not even have to raise his voice or wink at the camera. He just calmly says Zendaya was always perfect, which means Damon and Holland’s entire complaint gets launched into the sun.

For Damon and Holland, though, this is now part of the behind-the-scenes lore. They can keep chasing that “perfect,” but Zendaya already seems to have the crown, which makes me even more excited to catch her performance in the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation.

The British-American moviemaker has also emphasized that The Odyssey is the first feature film to be shot entirely in IMAX. So if that format is available near you, it may be worth grabbing a big ol’ Trojan horse popcorn bucket and seeing it on the largest screen possible.

The Odyssey hits theaters July 17, so check your local listings for showtimes.

We’ve been waiting for this one, guys. We’re now less than two weeks away from Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey hitting the 2026 movie calendar — the director’s first project since Oppenheimer — and he literally couldn’t have chosen a more epic tale. First reactions are here for the fantasy flick, which comes with a staggering runtime and massive budget. But by these critics’ accounts, Nolan fans should start getting excited.

So what are people saying after catching early screenings of The Odyssey? Critic Perri Nemiroff says Christopher Nolan expertly weaves the story together to make you feel like you’ve experienced a significant portion of the characters’ lives. Her X (Twitter) post continues:

David Ehrlich of IndieWire notes that The Odyssey is “less despairing” than the Academy Award Best Picture winner from 2023, and despite some druthers, it’s a ride worth going on. In Ehrlich’s words:

Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture wrote an epic reaction of his own on X, praising Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland’s performances. He also writes that this level of storytelling is rare and deserves to be honored. The post reads, in part:

Jeremy Mathai of SlashFilm gives his stamp of approval, and while calling The Odyssey’s cast list lengthy would be an understatement, Mathai casts his vote for the most impactful performance, writing:

For critic Simon Thompson, it was two other actors — in addition to Matt Damon — to draw praise in a movie that he calls “flawless filmmaking.” He says:

Clayton Davis of Variety notes some of the tweaks Christopher Nolan made to the source material, calling out even more of the movie’s stars like Robert Pattinson and Samantha Morton as he declares The Odyssey “another hit for Nolan.” His post reads:

Erik Davis says everyone gets a chance to shine, though Robert Pattinson steals the show for him. Overall, Christopher Nolan’s latest is “the must-see cinematic event of the summer -- and quite possibly the year,” Davis says, writing:

I mean, if those first reactions don’t get you pumped for this movie, I don’t know what will. We’ll learn more when full reviews come out, but these comments are promising to read in the final days before the movie’s release.

Matt Damon has made it very clear that filming The Odyssey was not an easy feat. He’s gotten real about the rough conditions they worked in, and one time, he told a story about how his co-star, Charlize Theron, acted through “30-to-40-mile-an-hour wind.” Now, the actor and the film’s director, Christopher Nolan, have recalled what it was like to shoot the cave scene, and they described it as “pungent” and “dank” (oh, and it involved a “curtain of bees”).

Now, those familiar with The Odyssey know that a major sequence involves a cyclops and a cave. So, to pull that off in his book-to-screen adaptation, Nolan used animatronics and puppetry to bring the cyclops to life, and they filmed in a legitimate cave. That cave is what we’re going to really focus on, as the director provided quite the description of it while speaking with Empire:

Well, that sounds scary and quite stinky, which I guess aligns with the things the men in The Odyssey would feel and smell when they entered the cave Polyphemus was in.

In real life, this location is actually called Nestor’s Cave, and it’s in Messenia, Greece. And according to Nolan, by filming in it, they were able to get a “sense of reality” in this film that features fantastical creatures.

However, while filming in the cave brought realism to the project on the 2026 movie schedule that will likely really enhance the experience on the big screen, it sounds like it was quite uncomfortable for the team to work in. That’s because, along with it being “dank and smelly,” there were also “thousands of bees” at the mouth of it, as Matt Damon recalled:

If I were in that cave, I’d 100% have screamed. However, it seems like these guys worked through it, and you will be able to hear the bees in the movie. So, when The Odyssey is released in theaters, maybe keep an ear out for some extra buzzing when they’re in that cave.

Now, while I kind of love that we will be able to hear the bees, I’m very happy smell-o-vision isn’t a thing. The last thing I want to smell is that “dank” and “pungent” cave.

However, I do have mad respect for Nolan, Damon and their crew for bearing the elements, the bees and the smells of that cave. The Oscar-winning director learned from The Dark Knight that it’s important to have “gone to the mat” for his movies, and it’s clear that he’s putting in that level of work and commitment on The Odyssey. So, I’m looking forward to seeing how that translates to the big screen when this epic premieres on July 17.

Matt Damon and Emily Blunt have worked together multiple times, having starred in The Adjustment Bureau and been members of the stacked cast of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. But, outside of being co-stars, they also happen to be neighbors! While it's already public knowledge that the two stars live a few floors apart, I just learned that Damon's spot really is the place to be.

Emily Blunt recently appeared on Today and, during her appearance, she couldn’t help but laugh when she watched a video of Matt Damon asking the British actress who her favorite co-star is who lives in the apartment above her. Gee, who could he be referring to? The Devil Wears Prada actress talked about one benefit of having Damon as her neighbor and, honestly, I'd be taking advantage of this perk as well if I were able:

Good neighbors are definitely important, and I'd say Damon falls into that category. It's generous of him to allow access to just allow any kind of access to his private roof, let alone to allow his pal's dog to pee. This truly speaks volumes about how comfortable and trusting Damon and Blunt's friendship is.

Damon's pad is indeed a big deal, though as, per Robb Report, the Air actor bought a $16.7 million triplex penthouse in 2018. The Brooklyn Heights 6,200-square-foot establishment has six bedrooms and of course, that huge private rooftop terrace, where visitors can grace themselves with the views of New York Harbor and Manhattan.

A year after Damon and his wife, Luciana Barroso, Emily Blunt and her husband, John Krasinski, also bought a full-floor apartment in the same building for $11 million. She and her hubby decided to make that New York move away from Hollywood to focus on their family. I'd say Blunt and Damon are incredibly lucky to call that luxurious Brooklyn Heights building their home.

It’s also quite amusing when two former co-stars live in the same apartment complex together. That actually made for a funny Christopher Nolan story, believe or not. Damon previously said the Nolan was worried that by speaking to him and Blunt in the same apartment on the same day for Oppenheimer, he thought it might seem like he was only casting people who lived in the same building. Of course, that proved to be far from the case.

What I want now is for Damon and Blunt to team up for yet another movie when their schedules allow. The two have great chemistry both on and off camera, and it would be a shame if they didn't work together again. In the meantime, though, I take comfort in knowing that their friendship continues to remain intact as they stay neighbors.

Of course, fans can also check out the 2026 movie releases that the Brooklyn Heights neighbors have on the docket. Emily Blunt’s Disclosure Day is in theaters now, while Matt Damon’s The Odyssey opens on July 17th.

Many celebrities choose to keep their professional lives separate from their personal lives, and specifically, their kids. Daniel Radcliffe wants to be one of those dads. The actor has high hopes that his son (who he keeps out of the public eye, including his name) won’t find out he’s the boy who lived for a long time. When asked about letting his kid in on this part of his life, Radcliffe credited a funny-but-tragic Matt Damon story that inspired him to keep his son from learning he’s Harry Potter famous.

Daniel Radcliffe has previously spoken about how kids don’t recognize him as Harry Potter anymore, which seems to be the reaction he hopes his own son has. The topic came up while he was out enjoying a date night at the Tony Awards with his partner, Erin Darke. The actor had an interesting point of view on it too when asked by ET about when he’ll be introducing his child to his work:

Well, that's kind of a bummer. However, it also makes total sense, and it seems like the Harry Potter star is perfectly fine with his kid potentially not taking interest in the movies that made him a household name.

In the years since those fantasy films, Radcliffe has pivoted from the world of Hogwarts to more obscure movies, television and Broadway, where he has made a new name for himself. He’s an amazing actor, and these plays have shown new audiences his range. However, it’s still nice for fans who grew up with Harry Potter to see him re-embrace the love for the franchise. Radcliffe used to get stressed out whenever he was recognized as Harry Potter, but now he’s putting the films into a "which is best" bracket.

It’s lovely to see him jumping back on board the train and enjoying it along with the fans, which sometimes includes other actors. When he met Mariska Hargitay, who took over his role in Every Brilliant Thing, she shared with him an emotional story about how she was the real Harry Potter. The actor has been reported as being curious and thoughtful whenever being told stories like this. Although, despite the love for the role, Radcliffe doubled down on keeping his kid out of this loop, saying:

Well, while he'll keep him away from the movies, I am curious to know if they'll watch the show. The actor is not part of the upcoming reboot, though he has shared his thoughts on who he thinks would be fun to play in the HBO series. His answer is not surprising, given his admiration for Gary Oldman and the love he has for the character of Sirius Black. It’s fun to think about what it’d be like if Radcliffe took on the mentor role for the new Harry, but it’s doubtful we’ll ever see him step back into the wizarding world.

Fans excited to see what the new series has in store can check it out when it premieres on the 2026 TV schedule on December 25 with an HBO Max subscription. You can also use that subscription to watch the movies; however, something tells me Daniel Radcliffe won't be doing that with his son anytime soon.

There are a lot of exciting titles on the 2026 movie schedule, especially for this coming summer. However, few titles, however, have been drumming up as much buzz as Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. The historical drama's is so stacked that it feels like everyone has worked together at some point. Yet one particular reunion that's not being discussed as much is getting me hyped for the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation, and it’s not one of the ones you might expect.

I feel like everyone is talking about how Tom Holland and Zendaya are appearing together for the fourth time via this film, or how Robert Pattinson and Zendaya are collaborating again after just working together on The Drama. Christopher Nolan is also reuniting with familiar faces like Elliot Page and Anne Hathaway, which is causing a lot of chatter. However, no one seems to be mentioning that Matt Damon and Charlize Theron are reuniting for the film as well, and Theron had some lovely things to say about getting to work with him again. She told Elle:

Based on what's known about The Odyssey, filming it was no easy feat. Nolan's stars e experienced some pretty harsh conditions, especially Matt Damon. The leading man has been open about being wet and cold for most of the shoot, and it sounds like things were pretty rough for Theron as well. Theron plays Calypso, a divine nymph who detains the hero Odysseus (Damon) on her island, Ogygia, for years. Based on her storyline alone, it sounds like most of her scenes are with Damon, and I personally can’t wait to see this chemistry on the big screen again.

For context, Theron and Damon first worked together 26 years ago on The Legend of Bagger Vance. The film sees them play former lovers who come back together when Theron’s character invites Damon to compete in a golf competition.

While Bagger Vance isn’t the most memorable entry in their respective filmographies, it’s a pretty fun watch, and the two of them have great chemistry. The Mad Max star clearly has fond memories of her experience working with the Boston-born actor, and ecstatic that they'll be sharing the screen again.

With such a huge cast, there’s a laundry list of reunions in The Odyssey in addition to the ones I previously mentioned. Cast members Benny Safdie and Robert Pattinson have worked together before, as have Jon Bernthal and Tom Holland. But, personally, this Theron/Damon connection feels like an underrated one. They have both had full careers since The Legend of Bagger Vance, and getting to reignite this working chemistry in a new context after they have both grown as actors is something truly special.

Also as a literary nerd, I have to say the Calypso storyline is one of the most interesting in The Odyssey. So I can’t wait to see how it plays out with these two powerhouses.

You can see Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, and the rest of the starry cast in The Odyssey, which hits theaters on July 17, 2026. Fans of the pair can also watch The Legend of Bagger Vance, which is now streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.

One of George Clooney’s most fascinating quirks is that he’s the celebrity prank master. Over the years, he’s become famous for pulling cleverly constructed jokes on his fellow Hollywood pals. Only this time around, his wife, Amal, decided to make her husband’s birthday all the more memorable by taking a page from his playbook and sweetly pulling a prank on him.

Take it from George Clooney to turn celebrity gags into an art form. From leaving his Ocean’s Twelve co-stars in a haunted house to pranking Matt Damon into wearing a tight suit, you’ve gotta bow to the king here. However, the Up in the Air’s actor’s queen would be none other than Amal, who decided to turn the tables on her husband with a sweet birthday prank of her own.

Standing by his wife, Clooney revealed at the King’s Trust 50th Anniversary Celebration (via British Vogue) exactly what that prank was:

Classic! I’m curious if those fake waiters were his celebrity chums like Brad Pitt or Matt Damon, though he sadly did not get super specific. As Amal has been married to George Clooney since 2014, she clearly knows his mischievous sense of humor well enough to humorously beat him at his own game.

Plus, the human rights lawyer is a firsthand witness to the prank wars that happen at home between Clooney and their kids when they prank their dear dad with movie props. Apparently, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Something tells me that when the Oscar winner discovered that his waiters were actually friends of his, he didn’t exactly leave them a tip. But at the King’s Trust event, Clooney did jokingly leave a tip of his own to anyone listening about pranking someone who’s above the age of 60:

You’ve gotta love George Clooney’s wit. The man is still standing, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's thinking of a payback prank for her birthday.

Keep in mind that Amal Clooney is not the only person to outrank the master of pranks. Brad Pitt once pranked the E.R. alum by sending the Italian crew of one of their Ocean’s movies a fake letter claiming the actor didn’t like to be looked in the eye. But then again, Pitt did that as sweet revenge for the time Clooney put a pot leaf bumper sticker on the back of his car that said “Fuck cops," which got him pulled over. Classic Hollywood chess match right there! Still, we know that with every prank pulled by Pitt or Amal, the love is still there.

George Clooney may have a knack for celebrity pranks, but his wife, Amal, just showed she knows how to keep him on his toes with a birthday prank of her own. One thing is clear: Amal Clooney’s got a few tricks of her own up her sleeve, learning from the master of Hollywood prank wars she comes home to every day.

Charlize Theron’s best movies see her portraying a lot of tough characters. From a professional safecracker in The Italian Job to a rock climber in the 2026 Netflix release Apex, Theron has plenty of experience playing disciplined individuals. However, as superhuman as she may seem at times, she is still a mortal. However, Matt Damon's story about Theron acting through a “30-to-40-mile-an-hour wind” for The Odyssey still proves the sheer amount of toughness she has.

Part of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey was shot at a Moroccan beach known for windsurfing and kite boarding and, as a result, there were some rough conditions. Damon, who spoke with Elle for Theron's cover story, said she was able to endure filming in the sandy location, though. And, based on his description of the shoot, I'm not sure I could've handled it:

That’s wild! Just the mere fact that Theron was even able to withstand filming while the sandy wind blew across her face is really impressive. My eyes sting just thinking about that stuff blowing in my own face. What's also surreal to note is that this instance of “massive discomfort” barely even holds a candle to other precarious moments the Oscar winner has had on movie sets.

Over the years, Theron has suffered “a lot” of injuries while filming her movies. Just recently for Apex, she “slammed” into a wall, broke some toes, and jacked up her elbow. She also had to endure harsh cold weather for Mad Max: Fury Road, and she cracked her teeth on the set of Atomic Blonde. If Theron isn't a serious trooper, than I don't know who is.

Theron plays the Calypso in The Odyssey, and she said filming under the harsh, windy conditions was “brutal.” Despite that, she didn't find it to be a negative experience. In fact, she said it was a great way to explore the location her character originated in. By playing the mythical nymph, Theron got to share some solid screen time with Damon (as Odysseus), who she previously starred alongside in The Legend of Bagger Vance. Damon went on to share more about why he was impressed by Theron:

Now, that’s admirable. While it’s understandable that the Monster star was trying to tough it out through the sandy winds, I’m glad she eventually expressed how uncomfortable she was. After all, everyone has their limits. However, I still give Theron credit for pushing through every obstacle, and I'm hopeful that'll translate into a strong performance in this latest Christopher Nolan movie.

See Charlize Theron channel Calypso when The Odyssey opens in theaters on July 17th as part of the 2026 movie schedule. I'll also be keeping my eyes peeled for those scenes Matt Damon is describing.

As we head closer to the middle of the summer season, we’re getting more excited for Christopher Nolan’s take on The Odyssey joining other highly anticipated 2026 movie releases. While seeing what the director does with the classic epic unquestionably excited, so does the massive cast. And, apparently working with Zendaya particularly impressed Nolan – somewhat to Damon and Tom Holland’s chagrin.

Matt Damon gave Zendaya her flowers for playing the role of Athena in The Odyssey. As he shared, when it comes to working with Christopher Nolan, the director doesn’t give out compliments left and right to actors on set, but for Zendaya that was a different story. In his words, per Elle:

According to Damon, who has worked with the filmmaker on two other movies previous to The Odyssey Nolan will often react to a take with “Yep, good. Okay” if he thinks an actor nailed it, but with Zendaya she got a rare “perfect.” The Odyssey also said this about the actress:

Zendaya had the chance to play the Greek goddess while in the middle of shooting the third season of Euphoria and also prepping lines for Dune: Part Three. In the new profile, Nolan also gushed about Zendaya, saying she balanced her multiple roles with “this sense of true grace and poise”. He called the 29-year-old a “true movie star” and “an incredible actor” as well.

Aside from The Odyssey starring Damon as Odysseus, Holland as his son Telemachus and Zendaya as Athena, the movie also stars Anne Hathaway as Odysseus’s wife Penelope and Robert Pattinson plays Antinous. Lupita Nyong’o plays the dual role of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra, Charlize Theron is Calypso, Jon Bernthal is Menelaus, Benny Safdie is Agamemnon, John Leguizamo as Eumaeus, among other big names.

Given Nolan’s last movie Oppenheimer won Best Picture and was a big box office hit, expectations are high for The Odyssey and Nolan said he’s been feeling a “massive amount of pressure” over adapting the beloved epic. It’s certainly no wonder why Nolan would choose Zendaya to star in the movie after her incredible track record as of late in movies like the Spider-Man, Dune films, or smaller hits like Challengers and The Drama. This year alone, the actress is in a total of four movies, along with starring in Euphoria.

You can see Zendaya slay in The Odyssey when the movie comes to theaters this July 17.

Ever since I watched Project Hail Mary, which is definitely one of the strongest 2026 movie releases so far, I’ve understandably been on a Ryan Gosling kick, and wanting to see more out of the actor. I mean let’s face it, between films like La La Land and Barbie the guy knows how to pick ‘em. Sure, he’s already got Star Wars: Starfighter on the way, but I was looking forward to another movie where his involvement sadly went south.

Now that more details has surfaced pertaining to why he left, as well as the A-lister replacing him, I'm still moody about it all, but am glad to have more clarity about what happened.

I Was Hyped For Ryan Gosling’s New Movie, Until He Left

Have you seen a little movie called Everything Everywhere All At Once? It became an unexpected hit between its record-breaking box office success and winning Best Picture (along with a ton of other accolades) and being now regarded as one of the best sci-fi movies ever made. Well, the filmmakers behind it, The Daniels, are currently working on another sci-fi story that involves time travel and global warming, and they'd initially cast Ryan Gosling in it.

Having seen and absolutely adored Everything Everywhere All At Once, I was really excited to see how Gosling would collaborate with The Daniels. I feel like the actor and the filmmakers would be a really solid match when it comes to comedy and what they can do with bringing original concepts to life. But, Gosling has since left the movie and we’re hearing this week that Matt Damon has replaced him in the role he was going to play.

Why Ryan Gosling Allegedly Left The Daniels’ Movie

Now, I’m not writing this to take any shots at Matt Damon. I think Damon is phenomenal, and likely when The Daniels’ new movie comes out in the fall of 2027 I’ll look back at this story not being able to imagine anyone else for the leading role. What I want to talk about is what The Hollywood Reporter learned about why Gosling allegedly left.

Per the outlet, when Ryan Gosling agreed to star in the movie, he had some notes for the directors. He apparently wanted the movie to be “larger” in scale and “asked for script changes”. However, considering Universal also slotted the movie for November 2027 and they received a California tax credit to film the untitled movie this summer/early fall, adhering to Gosling’s requests would have been a hassle.

As someone who deeply loves Everything Everywhere All At Once, which was made on a small budget of $25 million in California, I think there’s something special about The Daniels staying true to that vision for their followup. It cannot be easy to make another movie after winning Best Picture knowing how people are going to compare it, but I appreciate that the directors aren’t just making their next feature bigger because they can, even if that means having to say no to one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. I’ve been so excited for what The Daniels will do next, and I think they’ll be just fine without Ryan Gosling.

I think of myself as a fairly literate person. So, of course, I've read Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey.

That's why, when it was announced that Christopher Nolan's next project was an adaptation of the story, I had a pretty good idea of what we would be getting, as to how far one can deviate from such a classic tale. Then, I saw the first trailer. And the cast listing. I thought, wait, maybe I DON'T know what this movie will be like, because the vision I initially had in my head was not what I was seeing with every tidbit of information.

Which puts me in an interesting spot. As somebody who loves the original story, I didn't know what I thought of this new interpretation. The longer I've sat with it, the more I've come to love Nolan's tweaks to the story. Here's why.

Can I Just Say That I'm In Love With This Casting? And Yes, All Of It

Here's a thing that I think everybody should know, but I feel I have to remind people of: OPINIONS CANNOT BE “WRONG.” THEY ARE JUST OPINIONS. Believing otherwise would denote them as facts, which they are not. They are just somebody's personal feelings. So, when Elon Musk makes statements against Lupita Nyong'o playing Helen of Troy, you may disagree with him (I certainly do), but it doesn’t mean he's “wrong.“ That's just what he feels. As The Dude would say, “Yeah? Well, you know. That's just like, uh, your opinion, man.”

It is MY opinion that Lupita Nyong'o, who I think is beautiful, would make for an amazing Helen of Troy. Not only that, but I love that Nolan is pulling a Michael B. Jordan dual role by having Nyong'o play both Helen and her sister, Clytemnestra. That, I would say, is inspired casting. I also dig the possibility of Elliot Page playing Achilles (as we still, as of this writing, don’t know who Page is playing). Yes, people, today like to think of Brad Pitt from Troy as the best Achilles, but I think Page would be a pretty rad take on the figure. It's certainly different.

John Leguizamo as the blind Eumaeus is another interesting choice. Plus, Travis Scott as a bard is just the icing on the cake. It's not like Nolan hasn't worked with Scott before, as the latter was in Tenet. So, if Nolan thinks the rapper works in the role, then I'm all for it.

Remember, many people initially thought that Heath Ledger wouldn't work as The Joker, and look how that turned out. So, let Nolan cook!

I Like That Elements Of The Fall of Troy Are Also Being Represented

Here's something people may not know. The Trojan Horse is never mentioned in The Odyssey's precursor, The Iliad. Like, at all. It is mentioned in passing in The Odyssey, but the Trojan Horse, which is often the key iconography in the fall of Troy, is not in The Iliad. Instead, it’s in Virgil’s The Aeneid. This is because Homer’s The Iliad doesn’t reach the end of the war, so we don’t get to see the Trojan Horse.

That said, we do see in the trailer that there are flashbacks to the fall of Troy, as well as the aforementioned Trojan Horse, and I really like this aspect of the film. The Iliad and The Odyssey are two very different epic poems. The Iliad is more of a war story and valor. The Odyssey, however, is a more fantastical story with witches, cyclops, and monsters, etc.

The melding of these two poems, even if only through flashbacks, will give The Odyssey an interesting tone that I’m looking forward to. I’m also interested to see how some of these characters fit into The Odyssey. For example, Benny Safdie plays Agamemnon, who is in the Underworld in The Odyssey, but very much alive during the war. So, I’d love to see those scenes from The Iliad and The Aeneid play out.

I have so many questions, and I hope the movie delivers when it comes to representing the other poems.

I’m Also Perfectly Fine With The Characters Speaking In Perfect English If It Makes The Story More Accessible To A Broader Audience

I’ve never really liked Mel Gibson as an actor, but I do love him as a director, and one of my favorite movies that he directed is Apocalypto. Aside from being a great chase movie, it is cool because the entire film is spoken in Yucatec Maya (I also think it’s cool that The Passion of the Christ is spoken in Aramaic, Latin, and Hebrew).

I like antiquity and accuracy. I also really like reading subtitles (Sub will ALWAYS be better than dub). However, another controversy (outside of the casting) that I’ve seen online for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is that the actors speak in English with American accents - including the English actors like Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson! I’m sorry, but is this really a problem? I love reading, and I would have no problem if the actors in this film spoke in ancient Greek or whatever, and we got subtitles, but I am NOT your typical moviegoer.

In fact, most people I talk to haven’t read a book in years, and don’t want to read it. Hell, if they did, they wouldn’t even need to watch The Odyssey because they would have already read it. That said, for The Odyssey to have the broadest appeal possible, I think it should be in English. Also, since Matt Damon is the star, I’d much rather he speak normally rather than having to adopt an English accent just to match some of the other actors’ speech patterns. The Odyssey is a really wonderful story that’s been told for literally thousands of years, and if this is somebody's introduction to the story, then so be it.

In other words, I don’t want accuracy or subtitles to be a barrier to entry. Sure, maybe characters shouldn’t be shouting, “Let’s go!” as they charge into battle, but modernizing The Odyssey doesn’t seem like the worst thing in the world to me, which brings me to my last point.

Hopefully, Nolan Can Do For This Epic Poem What He Did For Batman, Which Is Give It A New Approach

Was Batman the character dead before Batman Begins? Of course not. Batman is bigger than the movies. That said, was his cinematic presence on life support before Batman Begins? Probably, because even though I love it, a lot of fans thought Batman & Robin was pretty much the death knell for Batman's character on screen, given how silly it was.

Then, Nolan revitalized the character with Batman Begins, and Batman was cool again.

My point is that The Odyssey is a classic story, and it's been adapted before. Even so, I think it'd be boring if it were just the same story retold, and I'm hoping that Nolan can put his particular spin on it.

So far, I like what I see.

I fully realize that it’s pretty silly to be comparing a movie like The Odyssey, which we’ve only seen bits and pieces of in trailers, to one of the best films of all time, Lawrence of Arabia. Of all the films on the 2026 movie schedule, however, Christopher Nolan’s epic, based on Homer’s ancient poem, now has me the most excited. It has me hoping that it will be as good as some of the best films, the likes of which Hollywood rarely makes these days, the huge epics like the ones directed by David Lean. I have good reason for these somewhat unreasonable expectations.

It’s Matt Damon’s Fault That I’m Thinking About This

I’ve been excited for The Odyssey since it was revealed that it would be Nolan’s next film. However, in a recent story from Time, Matt Damon, who stars as Odysseus in the upcoming film, says something that has my expectations at a fever pitch. He compared working on it to a movie from a long-gone era of Hollywood. Damon told the magazine:

Now, I love Lawrence of Arabia and The Bridge on the River Kwai, so any comparison to David Lean, who directed both, is going to get my attention. Add in what I’ve learned about the upcoming The Odyssey, like how Nolan really tried to use as little CGI as possible, opting instead for huge set pieces, old-fashioned camera tricks, and practical effects, and I’m really hoping that the movie feels like one of those old epics from the ‘50s and ‘60s.

Hollywood Doesn’t Make Epics Like This Anymore

Movies like The Odyssey are a very rare exception to the way Hollywood makes movies today. The biggest box office hits are (in large part) movies that rely heavily on CGI and are usually filmed as much in front of a green screen as in an actual location or on a traditional set. The Odyssey is different. From the sound of it, everything about the production was grand, in the tradition of directors like Lean or John Ford. In that way, it has more in common with a film like Ben-Hur than it does with an Avengers movie.

I don’t hate that movies rely on modern technology, and I’m not throwing shade on the best MCU movies or anything like that. In a perfect world, there is room for both movies like Avengers: Doomsday and The Odyssey, as we’re seeing this year. We just don’t get many (or, really, any) movies like Nolan’s ambitious project anymore. They are going the way of the Dodo.

That is both understandable, as there are not many directors – or movie studios – who would take this kind of risk, and lamentable, because when movies like this succeed, they can live forever in our consciousness, as Lawrence of Arabia does. Here’s hoping The Odyssey is the last one of this kind.

The 2026 movie calendar brought Ben Affleck and Matt Damon back together in a big way with Netflix's The Rip, their recent crime thriller about Miami cops, cartel cash and trust slowly melting under pressure. The Damon-Affleck partnership has felt like one of Hollywood’s constants for decades, going back to their Good Will Hunting Oscar win and stretching through everything from Air to their work together at Artists Equity. But now, their latest collaboration has landed the two A-listers in the middle of a defamation case.

Per Entertainment Weekly, two officers from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana, are suing Affleck and Damon’s company, Artists Equity, over how law enforcement characters are portrayed in the 2026 Netflix release. The lawsuit also names Falco Productions, Damon’s LLC production company, while Netflix, which distributed the movie, is not named as a defendant (and declined to comment).

The officers are not named in the film, but that appears to be the heart of the complaint. Smith and Santana argue that The Rip includes enough specific details from a real 2016 Miami-Dade investigation that viewers could reasonably connect the fictional characters to the real investigation.

The lawsuit claims the movie and its advertising imply “misconduct, poor judgment, and unethical behavior in connection with a real law enforcement operation.” The complaint says the portrayal has caused “substantial harm to their personal and professional reputations.” That is where the “inspired by true events” label starts doing some heavy lifting.

In The Rip, Damon plays Lt. Dane Dumars, and Affleck plays Detective Sgt. J.D. Byrne. The story follows the two after their unit discovers $20 million in cartel cash, which quickly opens the door to suspicion and corruption inside the Miami-Dade Police Department. The officers’ complaint claims the real-life inspiration was a June 2016 case in which Smith and Santana seized more than $21 million. The lawsuit argues that the film’s use of “unique, non-generic details” from that investigation, combined with the Miami-Dade setting and narcotics-team focus, creates a reasonable inference that the officers in the movie are meant to represent them.

Smith and Santana’s attorneys also point to specific fictional moments in the movie where characters bend police procedure, including a scene where Affleck’s character kills a Drug Enforcement Administration agent. The complaint says that aside from the large seizure itself, the events portrayed in The Rip did not happen.

The lawsuit also claims the fallout has reached the officers personally. According to the complaint, family members and colleagues allegedly made comments suggesting the officers must have used seized funds for home improvements, vehicles, boats and private schooling. Their attorneys argue those remarks show viewers are associating the real Miami-Dade officers with the movie’s corrupt portrayals.

The complaint says the officers’ lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter before The Rip was released in January 2026, asking the companies behind the film not to release it. After the movie came out, the defendants allegedly responded that the concerns were unfounded because the film did not expressly name Smith and did not imply either plaintiff engaged in misconduct.

Smith and Santana are seeking a public retraction and correction, including, as their lawyers describe, a prominent disclaimer added to the movie, per reports. They are also seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages and attorney fees.

Representatives for Affleck, Damon and Artists Equity have not responded publicly as of this writing. And for now, The Rip is still available to stream with a Netflix subscription.

As the 2026 TV schedule pushes into the summer months, Saturday Night Live Season 51 is winding down. Still, SNL’s host and musical guests continue to delight and, this week, the series welcomed Matt Damon and Noah Kahan. Damon certainly brought on the comedy during his latest appearance on the show, and he even reprised his role as U.S. Judge Brett Kavanaugh years after making that jaw-dropping cameo. The actor also teamed up with Kenan Thompson and Marcello Hernández for a humorously cringey sketch I loved.

Damon, Thompson and Hernández headlined the “Tough Guys” sketch, which saw them playing middle-aged men discussing how everyone wants to be a tough guy these days. On the surface, the three friends seem to be tough themselves, but they eventually reveal the ways in which they’ve had their butts kicked by unexpected aggressors. For instance, Damon’s character admits to having been beaten up by wife and son for asking simple questions, while Thompson’s character recalls being pummeled by a priest.

These little anecdotes are funny enough on their own, but the sketch takes a wild turn when Hernández’s character recalls being straight-up captured by someone. Yes, you read that correctly. And, from there, the character opens up about the man putting him in a cage and then periodically feeding him gummi bears as a way of training him. Needless to say, it’s an awkward but comedic turn for this sketch, which can be viewed down below:

Of course, there have been plenty of instances in which SNL has injected some awkward or even dark elements into sketches to the surprise of viewers. Ariana Grande’s bloody Home Alone ending sketch is a perfect example of that and, just weeks ago, Tina Fey got morbid when she sported a Paddington Bear skin during Jack Black’s Five-Timers sketch. While the “Tough Guys” twist may not have the visual element that the other sketches mentioned, it still works, and I certainly didn’t see it coming.

All in all, this sketch works due to a strong combination of the solid writing and the actors' deliveries. One of the other bits I can’t stop thinking about involves Kenan Thompson’s character talking about a guy forcing him to keep a quarter in his mouth at all times. That bit also pays off near the end of the sketch when the guy – who’s revealed to be a kid – comes to do a “quarter check.” I’d expect the long-tenured Thompson to pull that off so perfectly.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention just how refreshing it was to see Matt Damon in full-on comedy mode during his third hosting spot on SNL. As he joked in his monologue, it is somewhat hard to believe he’s only hosted the show three times at this point. Regardless of that, he always seems to make the most of his screentime, and I’m happy to say “Tough Guys” now represents another solid notch in his comedic belt. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to give this cringe-inducing sketch again.

Saturday Night Live airs on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET, and episodes are also available to stream with a Peacock subscription. Be sure to check out the show’s season finale on May 16, which will feature Will Ferrell as host and Paul McCartney as musical guest.

The day before The Devil Wears Prada 2 premiered on the 2026 movie schedule, the stars were out on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to celebrate two of its stars, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. However, while that’s lovely, the moment we’re going to focus on today is the funny wardrobe oopsie Dwayne Johnson had right before he got up to give his Jungle Cruise co-star her tribute.

As per tradition, when a star gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, many of their colleagues come out to give speeches and honor them. For Emily Blunt, this lineup included The Rock, who she’s worked a few times. However, before he said a bunch of very nice things about her, he had to address the wardrobe mishap in the room as he explained (via Hello Magazine):

After he said that, someone yelled at him that the “podium’s got you,” meaning, it was hiding the stain from the drink. So, really, Dwayne Johnson was fine. No one could see it while he was talking. However, he continued to address it, saying:

Listen, I can’t blame him for mentioning this. As you can see in the photo above and the clip of this moment, he’s wearing a very light suit, which means stains will be visible if a spill happens. So, I totally get where he was coming from, and I thought he handled it with humor and grace.

Then, after that, he tried to move on, recalling how he and Matt Damon were talking about how “awesome” and “cool” this honor is for Blunt and Tucci. However, it did come back around to his pants, as he pointed down to them and said:

Well, that was sweet (and silly too), it also added to the wonderful event that was this Walk of Fame ceremony. Along with Johnson, who worked with Blunt on Jungle Cruise and The Smashing Machine, her fellow Oppenheimer cast members, Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr., showed up to honor her. Plus, Meryl Streep was there too to share kind words about both her Devil Wears Prada co-stars.

Also, seeing as Tucci and Blunt are in-laws (he is married to her sister), they were able to make this double-star ceremony a family affair. Plus, Tucci’s wife, Felicity Blunt, and Emily Blunt’s husband, John Krasinski, were there as well.

So, all around, it was a star-studded affair full of love and one tiny wardrobe mishap. However, that keeps things fun, especially when The Rock used it to make a great comedic moment during the ceremony.

Now, to see these stars shining bright on the big screen (with no wardrobe malfunctions), you can watch both Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci in the well-reviewed Devil Wears Prada 2 in theaters now.

The bestselling book, The Martian, by author Andy Weir, has a Red Sox connection that happened years before noted Red Sox fan Matt Damon was cast to play the lead in the hit book-to-screen adaptation directed by Ridley Scott in 2015. Weir was recently a guest on Neil deGrasse Tyson's podcast StarTalk and revealed where Damon’s character’s name came from, and it’s all because Weir lived in Boston when he wrote his debut novel. Here’s what the writer had to say about the name.

Mark Watney Is Named After A Red Sox Reporter

While on StarTalk to talk about Project Hail Mary, another book that Weir wrote that has become a massive hit movie, he started the conversation by revealing a tidbit about Damon’s character, Mark Watney, in the Golden Globe-winning The Martian. It turns out, the name Watney came from Heidi Watney, who worked as a reporter for New England Sports Network (NESN) for a few years starting in 2008, while Weir was living in Boston and writing the sci-fi novel. As Weir recalled on the podcast:

The hosts of the show and Weir then joked about Watney getting compensation for the name choice, before moving on to discuss the juggernaut that is Project Hail Mary, and where Weir admitted he felt deGrasse’s presence when writing his novels. I couldn’t help but think about how perfectly it worked out in the end that Matt Damon would end up playing the role of Watney.

Superfan Matt Damon Was A Perfect Choice

The Martian was published in 2011 by Weir on Amazon Kindle and became a surprise hit. A hardcover publication followed, but that was after the novel was optioned for a movie in 2013. By 2014, Scott was attached to direct, and Damon was picked to star in the lead role of a scientist who finds himself alone on Mars. Keep in mind, this is five years after Weir named the character when he started writing the book in 2009.

I don’t think it’s news to anyone that Matt Damon is a massive Red Sox fan. Playing the role of a character who was named after a reporter for that historic team from Damon’s hometown almost seems too wild to believe. It’s like an Easter Egg that was snuck in before there was any way to know the novel would be turned into a film, much less before Damon ended up playing the role.

Weir may have called himself “a loser” on StarTalk, but that certainly isn’t true these days. Not only can you watch The Martian with the AMC+ addition to your Prime subscription, but Project Hail Mary is one of the biggest hits on the 2026 movie schedule so far. He’s come a long way from those nights watching Sox games by himself.

Project Hail Mary’s first weeks at the box office helps prove there's still a desire for science fiction-based stories. And, if the positive reactions to the book-to-screen adaptation are anything to go off, fans are buying into the science depicted in the flick. Author Andy Weir seems to know how to utilize hard science within his stories, and that's also true of The Martian, of which an adaptation starring Matt Damon was made over a decade ago. However, Weir now says one widely accepted aspect of that story's science isn't logical.

The Martian was a triumph upon its release, and it's still considered one of the best films of 2015. Adapted from Weir's 2011 novel of the same name, the film focuses on astronaut Mark Watney, who's accidentally left on Mars, leading NASA to mount rescue efforts. Scientific practices like growing food in Martian soil and making Mars’ atmosphere breathable abound within this tale. As Weir recently admitted to IMDb , though, one survival method Mark used was unnecessary:

As shown in the Ridley Scott movie, Mark Watney creates water from leftover rocket fuel since rain doesn't fall on the Red Planet and there’s no well. Despite that, one of the fascinating scientific facts to learn from The Martian is that with 35 liters of water in every cubic meter of Martian soil, Mark could have heated up the dirt to make water.

Also, the gravity in the movie wasn’t totally accurate either, as gravity on Mars is 40% of Earth's, meaning Mark would feel much lighter in his new environment. Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson actually ripped into that while watching the movie. But, at the end of the day, we have to remember that this genre is called science fiction for a reason. (Emphasis on the fiction part.) In any case, I appreciate Weir being so forthcoming about the inconsistencies in the Oscar-nominated film adaptation.

In the case of Project Hail Mary, at least, DeGrasse Tyson scientifically approved of the science being depicted. That film follows an amnesiac middle school science teacher, who wakes up on a spacecraft and applies real-life scientific logic to survive in space while trying to achieve his mission. Interestingly enough, Andy Weir continued to tell IMDb of a scientific inaccuracy in that book that even he thought was accurate at the time he wrote it:

Of course, it's hard to blame the NY Times best-selling author for writing what he thought was accurate at the time. After all, part of the charm of Project Hail Mary is that the story does include a lot of grounded scientific facts. And, with the film adaptation, directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller -- and by extension, lead actor Ryan Gosling -- sought to keep everything as realistic as possible. (Sure, there's not actually a spaceship-flying rock creature like Rocky, to our knowledge, but still.)

If anything Andy Weir's openness in critiquing his own work is a testament to just how much he respects the true science. I obviously can't speak to how anyone else feels, but these reveals wouldn't stop me from immersing myself in the story and sci-fi thrills presented in The Martian or Project Hail Mary. Check out the more recent of those films, which recently arrived amid the the 2026 movie schedule, in theaters now.

Earlier this year, when The Rip premiered on Netflix’s 2026 schedule, Matt Damon made a comment about the streamer giving notes about the benefit of reiterating plot points. Then, as the 2026 Oscar winners were announced, Conan O’Brien and Sterling K. Brown made a joke about it. Now, the streamer has responded to the claim, calling it “offensive” as executives turned down the notion of asking creators to do something like this.

In the days after O’Brien and Brown did a Casablanca themed-bit where they joked about streaming movies repeating plot points because viewers are on their phones, Netflix’s film chief, Dan Lin, reacted. He turned down claims that they do such a thing, telling reporters (via Deadline):

So, according to Netflix, they do not give notes asking filmmakers to repeat important points of the story.

However, earlier this year, Matt Damon claimed that they did. This came up as Ocean’s Eleven star was promoting his movie, The Rip, which you can watch with a Netflix subscription. He explained a couple of examples of possible notes they could get from the streamer, which included having a big action set piece in the first five minutes of the movie. He also said this about reiterating important points of the story:

Ever since Damon’s comment about this, Netflix potentially giving notes about repeating dialogue has been a major point of conversation this year. It came right as The Rip, which has some fun twists and got middling-to-positive reviews, was released on the streamer. So, it certainly got folks talking, and the Oscars joke brought it back into the spotlight.

However, some of Netflix’s top people are insisting that they don’t give notes like this. Along with Lin’s comment, Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said:

So, it’s clear that, according to these Netflix execs, they do not give notes like the ones that were joked about at the Oscars and explained by Damon.

Along with Bajaria’s comment, Jinny Howe, the Head of UCAN (U.S.-Canada) Scripted Series, said that Netflix is very aware of “how savvy the audiences are.” Speaking more to that point, she said:

Fans sure aren’t shy about calling things out and sharing their reactions, especially when it comes to big Netflix projects like Stranger Things or Bridgerton, for example. And according to the streamer, they know that and do not ask creators to reiterate points.

Now, it will be interesting to see how this conversation continues as more projects, and specifically movies, are released on Netflix. Clearly, the streamer does not agree with the claims and jokes that people were making. So we’ll have to wait and see if more creators and executives speak up about the notes the company gives regarding how films are made and how stories are explained to the audience.

Right now, it seems Timothée Chalamet is the odds-on favorite to win Best Actor at the 98th Academy Awards on March 14th for his starring turn in Marty Supreme. He missed out on the award last year when he was nominated for A Complete Unknown, one of the best music biopics in a while. If he had won last year, he would have been the youngest Best Actor winner ever, but as it stands, if he wins next month, he’ll be the second youngest. It's time the Oscars start rewarding performances for younger actors.

Actors In Their 20s Have Had Little Chance At Winning

Adrien Brody, who won his second Oscar (over Chalamet) last year, holds the record for the youngest Best Actor winner, with his win for The Pianist in 2002, when he was 29 years old. Chalamet turned 30 in December, which means Brody remains the only winner to have done so in his 20s. I would like to see this change, because a lot of fantastic performances by actors in their 20s (or younger) have been nominated, but very rarely rewarded with the Oscar.

I’m talking about actors like Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain. He was nominated for the role at age 27, but lost to Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote in 2006. James Dean was nominated twice, both posthumously, for his roles in Giant and East of Eden. Dean died at age 24 and never won the prize. From 1952 until 1955, Marlon Brando was nominated four years in a row in the category, but didn’t win until the end of that run, after he turned 30.

It’s One Reason We Have ‘Make Up’ Oscars

There are plenty of examples over the years of critically acclaimed and popular actors who have won an Oscar for a performance that is seen as not as strong as an earlier role for which they didn’t win. The classic example here is Al Pacino. Sure, he’s great in Scent of a Woman, which was his first Oscar win, but is he better than he was in The Godfather? Or Dog Day Afternoon? Or Serpico? He didn’t win for those, and it took another 20 years for the Academy to recognize him. He was in his 30s for all of those earlier roles, but what about Matt Damon?

Damon was nominated for what I would argue is still the best performance in his stellar career, in Good Will Hunting, when he was 27. He didn’t win (though he did win for Best Screenplay, along with Ben Affleck), and we’re nearly 30 years hence, and one of the biggest stars on the planet still hasn’t won an Oscar for acting. The same goes for Tom Cruise, who was 28 when he was first nominated, for one of his finest performances, in Born on the Fourth of July. He, too, has yet to win, 35 years later. When the Academy doesn’t reward a younger actor for a great performance, sometimes it’s an opportunity missed that is hard to make up for.

I know, I know, the plight of the young, handsome actor in Hollywood isn’t exactly a cause that many feel bad for, I get it. However, the Academy should be rewarding great performances, no matter how old the actor is. Maybe a win from Chalamet, who is on his third nomination already, will open up that door to more Oscars for actors in their 20s, and we'll have to shorten the list of actors who have shockingly never won an Oscar.

Naming Robin Williams' greatest role is a nearly impossible task. He was in so many wonderful movies, and he put forth numerous outstanding performances, but by at least one metric, the answer to the question is easy. Williams best role was in Good Will Hunting, as that was the movie that won him his (long overdue) Academy Award. Now, one of his co-stars from that film, Stellan Skarsgård, has opened up about the comedic legend and why he had to be "funny to survive."

Many have spoken in the past about the incredible impact that Williams had on making Good Will Hunting the movie it became. During a recent screening of the film (via EW), Stellan Skarsgård talked about his experience off camera with Williams, which was apparently very different depending on how many people were around. The actor explained…

“Had to be funny to survive” is a pretty rough statement to hear, honestly. Most fans probably never saw Robin Williams as anything other than “on” as his interviews and talk show appearances frequently became a stream of consciousness madness as Williams fired off every joke he could think of. It often made for hilarious television. However, the way Stellan Skarsgård describes it makes it sound like Williams felt like he didn’t have a choice but to perform when people were around. He either wasn't able to turn it off or simply felt an obligation.

Williams' lack of “choice” in performing did lead to some interesting work on the set, however. Skarsgård indicates that if his co-star had a great idea for a scene, he felt compelled to try it, just to get it out. He also had a desire to do many more takes of any given scene, and the differences could be quite stark. He continued…

Williams' desire to do multiple takes is well known. It's what led to a fabled, though not entirely accurately reported, NC-17 cut of Mrs. Doubtfire. He would throw every joke he had to see what worked.

Traditionally, multiple takes of a scene are done just to make sure that all bases are covered or that the best possible performance gets captured. The Dead Poets Society star, however, would drastically change his performance between takes, which in turn forced his co-stars to react differently as well. Williams, who was as good at dark roles as he was comedy, would sometimes try wildly different takes on his own performance. Skarsgård indicates that director Gus Van Sant (who was also at the screening) had so many very different Williams performances that the role could have been edited together in any number of ways.

Good Will Hunting didn’t win an Oscar in 1998 for Best Film Editing (though it was nominated), but perhaps it should have, considering the movie had so many scenes to choose from, and found the right ones to make Good Will Hunting a fantastic film.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have been friends since they were kids, with the same dream to make it big in Hollywood. It’s a remarkable achievement that they both succeeded so well, and yet, the pair have taken very different paths since sharing the Oscar for Good Will Hunting.

One of the biggest differences between the pair is that Affleck has become a director, and a fairly accomplished one, while Damon has yet to lead a production behind the camera. In a conversation with GQ, the friends talked about why Damon has yet to direct, and Affleck believes the reason is that the reason is that is friend has had more consistent and bigger acting opportunities over his career. The Gone Girl star said…

While both actors are big stars with plenty of big roles under their belts, it’s hard to argue that Damon is the bigger “movie star” of the two. He led the Jason Bourne movies, a significant franchise. He’s also worked with top directors, like Christopher Nolan, as he does in the upcoming The Odyssey.

When you have those opportunities, Ben Affleck says it's hard to decide to focus on directing, which is a tough gig at the best of times. Affleck directed Best Picture winner Argo, and has also directed Matt Damon in Air, the story of the Air Jordan sneaker.

Damon also has growing kids. It seems he’s been unwilling to devote the time that directing would require, since it would mean more time away from family. Affleck continued…

It’s interesting that Affleck says he has actively tried to help Matt Damon find a project to direct, and yet we have yet to see something materialize. Still, he's clear that he thinks if we ever get a Matt Damon-directed film, it will be great…

Damon himself mentions that his kids are getting older, so we’re probably only a few years away from the actor having more time to pursue additional opportunities. Maybe a Matt Damon directed film isn’t too far away.

Few celebrities are as hilariously connected to the brands they advertise for as Ben Affleck is to Dunkin’. He and the ever-popular donut franchise are now several years into their partnership, which has turned the Oscar winner’s real love of the restaurant into a series of viral ads and sold out merch. As Affleck does in the 2026 movie, The Rip, he shared the screen in the popular DunKings ad in 2024 with his bestie, Matt Damon. It now looks like this year’s Dunkin’ Super Bowl campaign won’t include his frequent co-star, but fans won’t even really need it after seeing how Damon can perfectly recite Affleck’s preferred order.

What Did Matt Damon Say Is Ben Affleck’s Dunkin’ Order?

We all know that one of the preeminent bromances of Hollywood is that of “bizarrely close” lifelong friends Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, who’ve worked together multiple times over the years, along with growing up together. It’s been a couple of years now since the Good Will Hunting duo starred in an enormously popular Dunkin’ ad together (with Tom Brady, Jennifer Lopez and other celebs), and with the Argo director/star’s latest Super Bowl commercial appearing to focus on a different Matt and Jen, fans might be feenin’ for them to share some Dunkin’ time on screen.

Luckily, when they participated in a recent friendship quiz for GQ they were able to deliver some of the delightful feels we got from their joint commercial when The Odyssey actor was asked if he knew his friend’s Dunkin’ order, and quickly nailed it:

You heard it, folks. Affleck chooses a large regular coffee, hot or iced, depending on the weather. While that offers a good basic caffeine jolt that could, theoretically, be found at any number of coffee shops, the star has made no secret of the fact that Dunkin’ holds a special place in his heart. He even admitted in 2019 that he went to the chain daily in search of his coffee/treat fix, and there’s been no reason for him to significantly dial that back in more recent years, especially since he’s become the restaurant’s (incredibly well-paid) go-to spokesman.

The chain is well over 70 years old at this point, and was also founded in Massachusetts, so it makes sense that Affleck would be a fan, and has likely been one for most if not all of his life. And, considering how close he and Damon have been for pretty much the entirety of their lives, it also naturally follows that his friend would remember his very simple order of choice when he heads to Dunkin’ for his daily dose of don't-murder-stupid-people juice. ( I can't be the only one who calls coffee that, can I?)

All that’s really left to say is that I hope we all have someone who’s close enough to us to know exactly what our coffee order is and where to get it if we can’t do it ourselves.

Since 2023, Ben Affleck has been working with Dunkin’ on Super Bowl ads that have kept TV viewers amused and confused, and the Oscar winner’s latest effort will no doubt match up with past merch-inspiring efforts like the DunKings. The company unveiled a video setting up what we’ll see on February 8, with Affleck rocking a thick-as-fahck Boston accent to pitch an idea to “Jen and Matt,” two names he’s quite used to saying. But it’s not what you think.

Guzzle whatever coffee you have near and check out the new ad teaser below. Anyone who can make it through the whole thing without impersonating Affleck’s accent either gets a free box of donuts or my temporary respect; whichever is cheaper to ship.

“Jen, Matt: I got a pitch for ya.” The ad kicks off with those two names but without ever showing anyone on-screen beyond Ben Affleck. Already that should have sent off warning bells that expectations would be upended here. Plus, the pitch here is about looking back to the past for something new, and that...

Well, I guess Affleck and JLo did go through two distinct relationship eras that would play into the Dunkin' ad's theme. As well, he and Matt Damon did just share the screen again in Netflix's action romp The Rip, and they do tend to reteam every so often. But let's refer to the biggest piece of evidence pointing to who else will actually be seen in the new ad.

Why I Don't Think Ben Affleck Is Referring To Jlo And Matt Damon

Back in November, word spread that Ben Affleck and Dunkin' would once again attempt to break the Internet, this time with a curated selection of sitcom stars whose runs took place during the very VHS era thats' being called back to in the ad above. Some of those cameos will come from stars of past NBC megahits like Cheers, Seinfeld, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and...Friends.

If that last show starting ringing connection bells, it's likely because two of its hugely popular stars include JENnifer Aniston and MATT LeBlanc, and we'll almost definitely discover that they're the two people Affleck is pitching to.

At the time, it was rumored that Aniston and LeBlanc would be joined by Jason Alexander, Ted Danson and Alfonso Ribeiro (as well as DunKing Tom Brady), and that the ads would center on a Good Will Hunting riff called "Good Will Dunkin'." Nobody saw that pun coming. In the initial report, it was stated that Ted Danson would be portraying Sam Malone, but it sounds like the fictional representation won't carry over to the Friends co-stars.

To be sure, however, just because Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc are allegedly in this ad technically doesn't make a JLo or Matt Damon cameo impossible. What better way to throw everyone off than by featuring other celebs with the same first names? I guess it depends on how much this creative team is prioritizing fan befuddlement.

Now if it were up to me...

My Wish For Who "Jen And Matt" Would Actually Be

• Mattrick Pahomes, a Bizarro universe version of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes
• Jenson Ackles

It's unclear whether or not Ben Affleck & Co. reinlisted the efforts of John Candy's son Chris Candy to direct the latest batch of ads, after previously bringing him into the mix without being aware of his parentage. But we'll hopefully find out more around the time when we see more of the ads on Super Bowl Sunday, which is happening on February 8 this year.

Don't forget to tune into NBC (or stream via Peacock subscription) to watch the game, or more importantly to anyone who has zero interest in this year's faceoff, the celebrity-filled ads.

Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan is known for many things in his filmmaking: working with the same actors, using IMAX 70mm film, and creating mind-bending plot twists. For many actors, signing onto a Nolan film is the role of a lifetime, no matter how big or small. It turns out, the Inception director doesn’t see it the same way, and had a funny warning for Matt Damon before he signed on for Interstellar.

Interstellar is widely regarded as one of Nolan’s best films. The sci-fi adventure about the race through space to save humankind has an A-list cast including Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Nolan’s frequent collaborator Michael Caine. Nolan had sent the Good Will Hunting actor the script, wondering if he would sign on to the project. Damon recently took GQ’s Friendship Quiz with longtime bestie Ben Affleck and told his fellow Boston native that before he could accept the part in Interstellar, the Dunkirk director called him with a hilarious, yet direct warning about his potential role:

Christopher Nolan’s humor is as twisted as his movies, because it’s a small part that holds tremendous weight. Damon’s role in Interstellar is, of course, the infamous Mann, leader of Professor Brand’s proposed expedition into space, whose crew Cooper and Co. are tasked with finding when their signal and data go dark. While Mann is revered throughout the whole first half of the film, Damon’s onscreen time is only a few minutes long. But to say it is a small part is an understatement.

SPOILER AHEAD (even though the film is over a decade old).

Damon’s appearance comes at a pivotal point in the film, where the truth is revealed, and everything unfolds. His role was actually kept a secret from audiences to make the twist all the more impactful. It’s a surprise to see an A-lister have such a small part, and because the audience knows and loves this actor, his betrayal hits hard.

According to Affleck, it was always a dream of Damon’s to play the lead in a Nolan film. It might have taken over a decade, but The Prestige director rewards those who wait. It’s no secret Nolan likes to work with the same actors, with the likes of Christian Bale and Cillian Murphy having major roles in multiple Nolan films. After moving on up to play a supporting role in Oppenheimer as General Leslie Groves, the Jason Bourne actor is finally getting his moment.

Damon will appear in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey, set to be a big summer blockbuster on the 2026 movie schedule. It’s another all-star cast, including Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, and Elliot Page, but this time Damon is the leading man, Odysseus. The 55-year-old actor’s incredible transformation into the hero of Greek myth can be seen in the trailer below:

While filming conditions for The Odyssey might have been even worse than Interstellar, there’s no doubt in my mind that Damon was thrilled to be there. I couldn’t be more excited to see him in this role after recently watching him in The Departed and Interstellar, characters that show he can tap into the moral complexity required to play a hero like Odysseus.

I have to wonder if potentially his buddy Ben Affleck could have a cameo in this upcoming Nolan project, similar to Damon’s “small part” in Interstellar. Cause if there’s one thing I know for certain, those two are never far apart.

When Dwayne Johnson really puts a special effort into a challenging performance, he reveals himself as a legitimately talented actor. While it can be said that he has spent the majority of his career playing vaguely similar versions of the same character, for the first time in a long time, audiences got the chance to see that talent shine through last fall with the release of The Smashing Machine. While that didn’t result in Johnson landing a 2026 Oscar nomination, he has earned great respect from his peers – including fellow A-lister Matt Damon.

Johnson and Damon have not yet had the chance to make a movie together, but the two men got the chance to chat together in recent months, and the latter walked away from the conversation immensely impressed. During a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience (shared via Johnson’s Instagram), the Martian star recalled discussing a particular scene in The Smashing Machine and asking how his fellow thespian prepared, and he was extremely impressed by his answer. Said Damon,

In the scene in question, Mark Kerr (Johnson) is laid up in a hospital bed and he carries on an aloof conversation with his friend Mark Coleman (Ryan Bader), who plays along with his pal’s excuse that he is just sick. Johnson carries a kind of childish air about him in the scene, a light giddiness that he may still be at a point that he can excuse away the consequences of his addictions, and the actor apparently went to a very personal place for that moment.

Then, however, the shoe drops: Coleman drops the facade and gets real: he knows exactly why his friend has been hospitalized. The protagonist’s emotional state snaps like a twig, and he begins to cry only after grabbing the hem of his blanket and pulling it up to cover his face. The moment gave the actor another chance to work from another painful memory to inform his performance. Damon continued,

That’s some seriously raw stuff, and Johnson deserves immense kudos for his willingness to go to those painful places for the betterment of his craft. It surely must have taken a lot out of him, but the results speak for themselves on the screen, and while the box office numbers weren’t exactly great, one can hope that the response will motivate him to continue trying some big swings and not just stay in the safe comfort of blockbusters and franchise films as is career continues to mature.

The Rip is currently one of the most-watched movies on Netflix. That’s not particularly shocking considering it’s a pretty high-profile affair, marking the latest collaboration between Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The movie got a solid critical response in general, but one group of viewers is taking issue with it, not for anything that the cast does, but rather how the movie presents itself to the audience.

Somebody Called The Rip 'A Parody' Of Netflix Movies, And Viewers Have Thoughts

A recent post on Reddit has blown up with comments after it called The Rip “a parody” of Netflix movies. It basically suggests that The Rip is nothing except two major plot points, surrounded by dialogue discussing those plot points over and over again. It goes further to suggest this was all done intentionally, as a sort of subversive act. A lot of the replies aren’t giving the movie that much credit, but are still taking issue with what the film does. Comments include...

• Pretty sure it wasn’t intentional. It’s just what Netflix does. And it’s pathetic - ianjcm55
• I'm pretty sure the budget was 100 million. Matt got 50, Ben got 50. Then the crew had a whipround and the movie was shot for $10 and a bag of weed. - flopisit32
• Netflix is a cancer to art - JayKay8787
• I have a feeling Netflix told them to make it a certain way (which Matt Damon mentioned in that Joe Rogan interview), and these guys decided to do their version of "malicious compliance". - Outrageous_Lock_9313

The last comment is an interesting one, as it references the fact that Matt Damon had already spoken about the fact that Netflix absolutely did make changes to The Rip specifically to help it cater to the “normal” streaming audience.

Matt Damon Spoke Directly About How Netflix Influenced The Rip

In an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast before the release of The Rip, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck appeared together, and Damon specifically mentioned that Netflix had notes for The Rip to make it streaming-friendly. Damon said...

See, Damon himself was critical of the way that streaming could potentially change filmmaking going forward.

That said, there is, of course, no indication that The Rip is somesort of subversive masterpiece that is critical of Netflix’s production strategy while appearing on Netflix. Of course, if somebody did attempt to do that, perhaps it wouldn’t look that different from The Rip.

For most movie fans, the Matt Damon–Ben Affleck partnership feels like a constant. They came up together, won an Oscar together, and have remained publicly inseparable for decades. But what’s easy to forget is just how long they intentionally avoided working side by side. That distance was a strategy they employed after getting some “well-intentioned advice.” And now, thanks to a surprisingly emotional, Beatles-inspired story The Departed star recently shared, it’s clear why reuniting later in life and continuing to work together ended up meaning so much more.

Kyle Chandler, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck recently appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show to promote their 2026 movie release, The Rip. In a clip shared on the show’s Instagram, Damon opened up about the long gap between collaborations, offering an unexpectedly tender explanation for why the partnership endured. As he put it:

But that was only the beginning of the story. According to The Martian star, the real turning point came while watching Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back documentary, streaming with a Disney+ subscription, with his daughter. The moment the doc ended quietly reframed how the Talented Mr. Ripley actor thought about creative partnerships and the finite nature of time. He explained:

Seeing those young, joyful artists still bursting with ideas hit The Odyssey performer harder than he expected. What stayed with him wasn’t just the performance, but the realization of how much creative time was left on the table, and how easily it can slip away. It was a reminder that even the strongest collaborations don’t last forever unless you choose to keep them alive. He continued:

What started as a plan to build a small studio and work together again ultimately became something far more emotional than strategic. In hindsight, the advice that once pushed Damon and Affleck to keep their careers separate wasn’t wrong, as it gave them room to grow, stumble, and succeed on their own terms. But choosing to reunite now feels just as deliberate, and maybe even more meaningful. It just goes to show you that even if you’re Hollywood's biggest stars, sometimes, all you need is love… from your best bud.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s most recent collaboration, The Rip, is now available to stream with a Netflix subscription.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are arguably one of the greatest Hollywood pairings of all time. With them being long-time friends, it's always a treat to see these two together again, and their latest offering, The Rip, has a ton of twists. However, out of all of the films that Damon and Affleck starred in together, my favorite is probably one of their most overlooked, 2021's The Last Duel.

Directed by Ridley Scott, who’s made his fair share of historical dramas and sci-fi movies (with Alien often considered one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time), The Last Duel, which is based off of a true story, is pretty much Rashomon with knights. The trouble is, it absolutely flopped at the box office. That said, here’s why it’s still worth a watch if you haven’t seen it yet.

Matt Damon Plays A Complete Oaf… But That’s Not How He Sees It

Now, if you’re only familiar with Akira Kurosawa’s samurai movies, you might not know what Rashomon even is. Well, in a nutshell, Rashomon is a movie where its plot device is that it’s the same story, but told from different perspectives. Oftentimes, characters will see the same event entirely differently, and you may start to wonder who’s even telling the truth.

Well, in The Last Duel, we see the same story told from three different perspectives, one being Matt Damon’s as the knight, Sir Jean de Carrouges; another being Adam Driver’s knight character, Sir Jacques le Gris; and the last being Jodie Comer, who plays the wife of Sir Jean, Marguerite. The “last duel” in question revolves around Marguerite’s honor, as she was raped by Sir Jacques in her husband’s absence, and the two knights fight to the death over it.

However, here’s the thing. In Damon’s chapter, he seems like a noble knight in every sense of the word. He’s respected by all, including his wife.

That said, it’s only through subsequent chapters where we learn that he’s viewed as a bit of an oaf by pretty much everybody, including said wife. It’s fascinating watching Damon be valiant in one chapter, and a total dope in others. While we didn’t include The Last Duel on our list of the best Matt Damon movies, I'd certainly put it up there.

Ben Affleck Also Stars As A Libertine Count

Out of all of the performances in The Last Duel, I think Ben Affleck’s might be the most interesting. He doesn’t get his own chapter, but rather hangs on the fringes of each of them.

He plays the real-life Count Pierre d’Alencon, who acts as the overlord to Damon’s character. However, the Count is more on Driver’s side than Damon’s, as the Count - as I mentioned earlier - sees Damon’s character as a bit of an oaf. With that mindset, the Count has no problem with gifting a lucrative estate, which should rightfully be owned by Damon’s character, to Driver’s character, whom he much prefers.

What’s most interesting about Affleck’s character, though, is just how modern he feels in this historical world. With his bleach blonde hair, and his sense of ennui (when he’s not getting laid), he feels like a man out of time, and it really works. In our review of Gladiator II, we highlighted Denzel Washington’s performance, and I think the same could be said for Ben Affleck’s performance here. It’s an absolute highlight in an already phenomenal film.

Plus, it’s just funny seeing Affleck treat Matt Damon so poorly in this movie, given what good friends they are in real life.

Adam Driver Plays An Absolute Scoundrel In This Picture

Adam Driver is another fascinating actor, as he can play a misguided villain, like he did in the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy; a martyr, like he portrayed in one of my favorite Scorsese movies, Silence; and an absolute rogue, like he plays in this film.

I mean it, you might love Adam Driver, but you’re going to absolutely loathe him in this movie. In his chapter, we see things entirely differently. Instead of a rapist, it seems like Comer’s character (who I’ll get into next) led him on. We see a noble knight who puts his life on the line in battle, and in his eyes, Damon’s character likes to hog all the credit. But the sun shines heavily upon Driver, and he really makes it seem like he’s the hero in this story.

But even in his own chapter, you can tell just how smarmy he is. And you know he’s smarmy because Affleck’s character takes a liking to him, and Count Pierre d’Alencon is a Libertine scumbag. It really shows just how good Ridley Scott’s direction is, and how excellent Adam Driver is as an actor, as we can see him believing he’s a genuinely worthy individual when even the audience can tell that he’s full of himself.

It’s only in the final chapter though that we really see how despicable he truly is.

Jodie Comer Rounds It Out As The Film’s Mistreated Moral Compass

In the final chapter of the film, we get the actual truth of the story, and it comes from Jodie Comer’s character, Marguerite de Carrouges, who is wronged by pretty much everybody in her life. We see that she’s the one who actually handles all of the finances, whereas Damon’s character made it seem like he had it all under control (so like a man). We also see that Driver’s character wasn’t seduced by her, but rather he forced himself upon her and assaulted her viciously.

Despite the subject matter pertaining to sexual abuse, it doesn’t seem that way until we actually see Comer’s side, as she’s the victim of every man in this movie. She’s a victim of her husband, who leaves her unsatisfied. She’s a victim of her husband’s friend, who rapes her. And she’s a victim of society as a whole, which chooses not to believe her… at first.

However, Comer’s character was raped, and she stands behind her truth, because it’s all she has. When even the women in her life advise her not to make a big deal of it, she won’t back down. The duel happens because she knows that what was done to her was wrong, and she won’t let that slide.

In truth, Marguerite de Carrouges is the only noble one in the entire film.

In Short, The Last Duel Is A Criminally Underappreciated Gem, And My Favorite Damon/Affleck Collaboration

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have been in 15 movies together, and I like a great many of them. However, while most people will probably always bring up movies like Air, Dogma and, of course, Good Will Hunting (and maybe even one of my favorite romantic comedies, Chasing Amy, though Damon had a much smaller role in that one), I think more people should talk about The Last Duel.

For one thing, the structure of the film is fascinating. Sure, it could have been told from just one perspective, but that would have been very limited. It could have also been a lot more straightforward, but the three-chapter structure really makes this film.

Plus, it’s just great to see pals Affleck and Damon be on such wildly different sides of the spectrum. In the end, Affleck’s character remains unaffected by the events and acts more as a patient observer. Meanwhile, Damon’s character is a total bruiser and used more like a pawn. It works!

Which is why I think you should watch The Last Duel if you haven’t already. I think it’s their finest work together to date!

This week, it's safe to say many people are checking out The Rip with a Netflix subscription, as it's currently rolling at No. 1 on the streamer's Top 10 list. While the big headline is people are thrilled to see Ben Affleck and Matt Damon together again, a mayor whose city serves as the setting to the story is none too pleased about the flick.

The mayor of Hialeah, Bryan Calvo, doesn't seem too thrilled to see the real-life city portrayed as a town in which a drug cartel might stash millions of dollars, and where police officers would fight amongst themselves over doing the right thing or taking the goods. In a statement shared to Instagram, Calvo shared that the Netflix movie based on a true story isn't accurate, to the city he knows. He'd also like to point out the story in question didn't actually take place in Hialeah:

Apparently, the mayor of Hialeah wasn't as thrilled as others by the big twist of The Rip, and good cops winning the day wasn't enough for him to proudly claim the movie. There seems to be a big worry the movie may promote Hialeah as an unsafe city, and Calvo is passionate about speaking out against that narrative.

So passionate, in fact, there's a chance the city may go after The Rip and Netflix for the portrayal. Bryan Calvo actually threatened legal action just weeks after being sworn into office as the city's official mayor. Here's what he said on social media about the city he's in charge of:

This might be one of the biggest controversies of the 2026 movie schedule I've seen so far. Granted, it's early days, but you just don't think about the sometimes big feelings involved when fictional movies are set in real-life places.

Again, I'm sure that more people who watch are more focused on seeing Ben Affleck and Matt Damon pal around than they are looking for the skinny on crime in Hialeah. Still, I can understand the complaint of the mayor not wanting it to be the thing that the world remembers about the city, especially when the story didn't even happen there.

It is worth noting, per Newsweek, that while The Rip is "based on a true story," it's more accurate to say it's a fictional story inspired by truth. While there was a group of officers who found $22 million in money and counted it on site, it took 42 hours to do, and there were no corrupt cops trying to kill their own to get it for themselves. The cartel was also not involved in the real-life incident, but a single business owner who was alleged to have a role in a marijuana growing ring. He was sentenced to 65 months in prison after agreeing to forfeit $18 million of the seizure.

We'll see if The Rip's potential issues with a city could impact upcoming Netflix movies, and continue to enjoy other elements about the movie in the meantime. I'm just loving all the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck headlines surrounding it, especially after the former's daughter ripped on their red carpet poses.