The Reelist

Tag: drama

  • “The Odyssey” review

    “The Odyssey” review

    Any time Christopher Nolan releases a new film, it feels like an event. This is no different with his latest release, The Odyssey. To put it in perspective, tickets for IMAX screenings went on sale last summer, a year before release, and they sold out pretty quickly. With the insane amount of hype leading up, it begs the question, does The Odyssey live up to it? It most certainly does. 

    The Odyssey is an adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem, Odyssey, which tells the story of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, and his ten-year journey home following the end of the Trojan War. Meanwhile, back in Ithaca, Odysseus is presumed dead after being away for twenty years, which leaves his wife, Penelope, and their son, Telemachus, to deal with a group of unruly suitors competing for Penelope’s hand in marriage.

    Matt Damon as Odysseus

    Since this is a direct adaptation of an existing work, the foundation of the story is already laid out, so it ultimately comes down to execution. This is where The Odyssey truly shines. The sheer size and scope of a film like this would intimidate almost any director, but Nolan doesn’t back down. Early on, Nolan made the decision to film The Odyssey using IMAX cameras entirely, which was unprecedented and had never been done before. Even though it was a huge financial and technical endeavor, his commitment to IMAX pays off here. The film looks and sounds amazing. And because of Nolan’s devotion to using more practical effects instead of CGI, there is a level of authenticity to the film that makes it even more impressive. The combination of epic scope, visuals, and sound creates a level of immersion that’s rarely seen. It almost felt like I was actually on the journey with Odysseus.

    The movie also takes us on a journey through different genres. It has plenty of action and adventure sequences, romance, and even some horror scenes sprinkled in here and there. The horror scenes are particularly effective and well done, especially the one involving pigs (if you know, you know). If Nolan ever decides to do a horror film, he’s shown that he’s more than capable of pulling it off. 

    There are a couple gripes I have with the film, but they’re closer to nitpicks than anything else. As typical in Christopher Nolan films, the dialogue can be hard to hear at times, even in quieter, less action-oriented scenes. Also, in terms of how the narrative is told, I would have preferred more linear storytelling instead of Nolan’s typical non-linear approach. The film often goes back and forth between different time periods instead of telling it in chronological order. The story isn’t hard to follow, so it’s not a huge deal, but I do think a more linear, streamlined approach would have been better, especially for more general audiences. 

    All in all, The Odyssey is a masterful example of what happens when you combine talent with a director that truly cares about their craft. It stands tall as one of the year’s best and one of Christopher Nolan’s finest achievements. And with a filmography as impressive as his, that’s really saying something.

    Rating: 4.5/5

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  • “The Drama” review

    “The Drama” review

    The Drama is quite the drama, all right. It’s been a while since a movie has been so heavily marketed a certain way, only to go in a completely different direction by the middle of the movie. The unconventional nature of this rom-com ends up being both a strength and a weakness, resulting in a flawed, yet entertaining film that will leave you thinking about it for quite some time. 

    The Drama, directed and written by Kristoffer Borgli, stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as couple Emma and Charlie. Emma and Charlie meet at a café, and two years later they are engaged. During the week of the wedding, they go out with their maid of honor, Rachel, and best man, Mike, for drinks. While talking, Emma makes a shocking revelation that makes Charlie question whether he really knows her and if he wants to marry her. 

    Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as Emma and Charlie

    As with practically every rom-com, the film rests heavily on the chemistry between the two leads, and both Zendaya and Pattinson deliver here. Their chemistry feels natural and unforced, and it results in the viewer being able to buy into Emma and Charlie’s relationship. It makes Emma’s sudden revelation more impactful too. This twist is sort of the film’s superpower because it is a catalyst in the plot while also being what makes the film unique to a certain extent. It’s definitely a good thing in that sense. 

    Where the movie suffers a bit is in regard to the timing of the twist. It’s revealed around the half-hour mark, which I think was too soon. What ends up happening is two things. First, it minimizes the impact of Emma’s revelation a bit. While it is still impactful to an extent, it would’ve been even more so if the film took more time building up to it. The second thing that ends up happening is that, because the reveal happens so early, Charlie spends so much time dwelling on it that the film ends up becoming very repetitive. It’s almost like the filmmakers didn’t know what else to do with the remaining runtime, so they re-hash the same thing over and over again and it eventually gets tiresome. Perhaps a better script could have avoided this, but unfortunately that’s not the case here. 

    Despite being repetitive, The Drama does remain interesting and entertaining. There is a good amount of comedy sprinkled in, and the film is pretty thoughtful overall. Many might find themselves in Charlie’s situation (though not quite to that extent), asking if they truly know their partner, or having doubts leading up to a wedding. In the extremeness of The Drama, there is some relatability and thoughtfulness in regard to dealing with the potential anxiety of marriage and commitment to someone you may not think you truly know.   

    Overall, The Drama is a decent but flawed rom-com. It does some things right, namely the chemistry between the leads, but its repetitive nature will lead to some viewers feeling exhausted after a while. That being said, the film is still good and entertaining enough to be an enjoyable time at the theaters. 

    Rating: 3.5/5

  • “Marty Supreme” review

    “Marty Supreme” review

    As far as sports dramas go, Marty Supreme is one of the most unique and entertaining ones out there. Directed by Josh Safdie, the film blends multiple different genres together to subvert expectations on what a sports drama can be. Couple all of that with another award-worthy performance from Timothee Chalamet, and the result is one of the best films of 2025. 

    Marty Supreme is loosely based on the life and career of American table tennis player Marty Reisman. Set in the 1950s, the film follows Marty Mouser (yes, there’s a name change) as he goes from working as a shoe salesman to becoming a prolific table tennis player with dreams of winning multiple tournaments to bring American attention to the sport. This does not end up going smoothly, as many issues both personally and professionally threaten Marty’s dreams of becoming the top dog. 

    Timothee Chalamet as Marty Mouser

    First, let’s get the obvious out of the way: Timothee Chalamet is brilliant as Marty Mouser. This might be a career-best performance from him in a young career already featuring multiple outstanding performances. He is no doubt going to once again be in the thick of the Oscar race. The rest of the cast holds up their end of the bargain, but this is Chalamet’s movie through and through. Where he goes, this movie goes, and he soars very high here. 

    At its core though, this is a film with much more to offer than just an excellent star performance. One of its many strengths is how it blends multiple genres to create something that feels fresh and entertaining. The film works as a sports drama, but it almost feels like a heist movie as well, similar to Safdie’s Uncut Gems. Without going into too much detail to avoid spoilers, Marty is very often on the move due to circumstances involving money, which creates feelings of tension and on-edge. The pacing also helps with this, as the movie is fast paced, but never too fast. This allows enough time to flesh out the characters while also keeping the plot going at a relentless, intense pace. There’s also some sprinkles of comedy here and there to keep things light enough. Safdie’s script, which he co-wrote with frequent collaborator Ronald Bronstein, is sharp, quick-witted, and consistently engaging. 

    There isn’t much at fault with the film. With a runtime of 150 minutes, perhaps it could have been a little shorter. With how well it’s paced though, it’s not too much of an issue. Again, it’s a testament to how well written it is. I fully expect this film to get nominated for and win multiple awards come award season time. Chalamet will be up for best actor of course, and I can see it at the very least getting nominations for screenplay, production design, cinematography, best picture, and probably a few others. There’s no question that Marty Supreme is an impressive piece of work in many aspects. 

    Rating: 4.5/5