Ben Shapiro Backs Nolan's 'The Odyssey' in 18-Minute Review as Conservative Backlash Grows
Updated
Updated · Variety · Jul 19
Ben Shapiro Backs Nolan's 'The Odyssey' in 18-Minute Review as Conservative Backlash Grows
3 articles · Updated · Variety · Jul 19
Summary
An 18-minute YouTube review posted Saturday saw Ben Shapiro call Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” a “masterpiece,” breaking with conservative critics attacking the film’s casting and historical accuracy.
Shapiro praised Nolan as “the best director working today” and singled out Matt Damon’s Odysseus, plus Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland and Anne Hathaway, as standout performances.
Lupita Nyong’o’s casting as Helen of Troy drew a direct defense from Shapiro, who argued the script itself downplays Helen’s beauty as the war’s true cause.
One exception remained: Shapiro called Elliot Page’s casting as Sinon an “absolute puzzler,” while otherwise rejecting much of the right-wing outrage amplified by figures including Elon Musk.
Nolan has already dismissed the online backlash, telling The Telegraph that blockbuster adaptations inevitably attract entrenched fan reactions and that his job is to honor the source through his own interpretation.