It’s incredible to think that a tale written between 2700 and 2800 years ago has managed to endure through the ages and remains both popular and relevant today. Telling a compelling story filled with perils both human and supernatural it may be one of the few works often required of students to read that they actually enjoy. I know I certainly did. That was longer ago than I care to acknowledge however and in that time some of the key plot points have begun to fade from memory, meaning I can’t really comment on how faithful to the original Christopher Nolan’s new take is, but also that I was fully gripped by the suspense of every stunning set piece in this masterful adaptation.

For those who aren’t familiar with the basics of the story, it follows both Odysseus (Matt Damon) as he tries to return home to his kingdom of Ithaca following the Trojan War and his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) as they contend with scores of suitors gorging themselves on their hospitality as they wait for her to take a new husband—in turn anointing a new King.

The vibes in Ithaca aren’t great. Their “guests” behave abhorrently, acting as if they already own the place and displaying cruelty to the poorer citizens that linger near and serve in the palace as well as to Odysseus’ dog Argos, who has long passed his expected lifespan awaiting his master’s return. Chief among them is Antinous (Robert Pattinson), a sleazy, arrogant schemer who is convinced that his plotting to win the Queen’s hand and remove Telemachus from the line of ascension will succeed. Pattinson is perfectly smarmy in the role and one can’t help but yearn for any sort of comeuppance for the character and his cohorts, like the equally detestable fellow suitor Polybus (Corey Hawkins) and Penelope’s disloyal servant Melantho (Mia Goth).

Things aren’t going all that well for Odysseus either. Opting to take a less-travelled route home after his victory at Troy, despite the mild protestations of his second-in-command Eurylochus (Himesh Patel), he winds up putting his entire crew in grave danger. Every island they dock at in search of supplies houses some threat or other, all so effectively staged for maximum suspense that they leave one yearning for a Nolan-helmed horror movie. As it looks increasingly likely that none of them will ever again set foot in Ithaca the crew become convinced that they have angered the Gods, something that Odysseus himself already worries over in his conversations with the Goddess Athena (Zendaya), and begin to grow mutinous. Damon excels at conveying the character’s inner turmoil as he yearns to be reunited with his family, agonizes over his actions in the war, and strives to keep his crew alive—a task only made more difficult by their growing rebelliousness.

The stacked cast largely do excellent work (Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, Jon Bernthal, and John Leguizamo also stand out) with only Holland’s performance feeling somewhat flat. Damon and Pattinson are both award-worthy here but it’s Hathaway who truly shines as the suffering Penelope, radiating both pain and righteous rage at her situation and those who seek to take advantage of it.

Nolan always gets excellent work from his cinematographer and composer and this time is no exception. DP Hoyte van Hoytema returns for his fifth collaboration with the filmmaker and delivers a mix of stunning wide shots and intimate close-ups, perfectly presenting Nolan’s intended mix of the epic and the personal. The score by Ludwig Göransson isn’t necessarily one that will inspire many to listen to it on its own but it is well-suited to the film, utilizing a ticking clock rhythm akin to Hans Zimmer’s work for Nolan’s Dunkirk that magnifies the tension during key moments.

This is a film crafted with care by people with an extreme love and respect for the format and it shows in every frame. It’s a big-budget historical epic of the sort that Hollywood rarely gives us anymore and a shining example of what makes the genre so thrilling. The story’s themes remain relevant as ever, with the way Nolan’s script accentuates the notes about human nature and the lessons of history making it feel especially timely.

You can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats the least among us and we would be wise to avoid putting those that fail that test into positions of power. The characters here represent the best and the worst of all of us while keeping it clear that no one is without flaws. But it isn’t about being perfect, rather it’s how we learn from and atone for our mistakes that builds us up as people. If we could all remember that and try to be kinder towards each other, maybe we could stop repeating the same mistakes. Another masterpiece by one of the best directors working today. ★★★★★

Rated R for violence and some language.