Damon plays the legendary hero as a man worn down to the grain — clever, tired, haunted by the war he helped win — and it might be one of the finest performances of his career. Hathaway, meanwhile, turns waiting into a battlefield of its own; her Penelope isn’t a damsel biding time, she’s playing the longest chess game in mythology.

These two lead an impressive ensemble cast: Zendaya as the goddess Athena. Lupita Nyong’o pulling double duty as Helen and Clytemnestra. Charlize Theron as Calypso. Robert Pattinson. Jon Bernthal. Even Travis Scott shows up as a bard, because Nolan apparently sees rap and ancient oral poetry as cousins. Most importantly, their collective performances slayed. Pun intended.

While not all characters had a lot of screentime, each portrayal was commendable. This movie proved that A-listers will shine in any project regardless of the amount of screentime. This was like Greek mythology’s version of The Avengers.

One of the things that I loved most about the movie is that while it is so epic in scale (the massive aspect ratio, sprawling coastlines that make way to towering cliffs over vast oceans, and huge set pieces–it still feels intimate. The camera is almost always up close during vital scenes, bringing us so close to everything. The conversations between characters had us as a listener. Their struggles also felt palpable. You’re not watching Odysseys from a mountaintop; you’re in the raft with him, struggling to stay afloat, salt spray and all. The score (Ludwig Göransson) does a lot of rowing too. Those deep, thunderous pulses under everything makes even the quietest of scenes feel alive.

And then there’s the structure. Because the story is part of a large mythology, it can be difficult to take note of every name, event, relationship, and backstory. In the hands of a mediocre storyteller, this would have suffered — a two-hour lecture on Greek family trees, complete with pop quiz. But the flashbacks effectively tie the events together so it’s easy to understand why things are happening. The non-linear telling (thanks largely to editor Jennifer Lame who slices time so well—was so skillfully done that the audience isn’t burdened by all the major plot points. We stay locked on the central story: Odysseus’s journey home, and Telemachus’s quest toward becoming a son—and a man. Father and son, oceans apart, growing toward each other. That’s the heart of this thing, and Nolan never lets us lose sight of it.

What an epic film.

Don’t wait 20 years before you see this. Catch it on IMAX—the best way to experience it.

The Odyssey is now showing in cinemas.