Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has just hit theaters, reviving one of the core Greek texts on the big screen and proving that some myths are better seen than read. So, here are 6 films that have also adapted some of the countless myths from Ancient Greece!
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
A Coen Brothers classic, O Brother, Where Art Thou? takes a unique approach to The Odyssey. Unlike Nolan’s more direct adaptation, the Coens turn the Greek epic into a Depression Era backroads romp complete with musical detours, outlandish schemes, and prime George Clooney’s silver-tongued troublemaking. A wildly fun film, the cult classic proves that Greek mythology doesn’t always need to be approached like a literary lesson. (Stream on Hulu)
Poor Things (2023)
Yorgos Lanthimos does what he does best in this dramatic, absurdist comedy film, taking the Pormethean creation myths and running with them through full-blown cinematic chaos. Winning the Oscar for Best Picture in 2024, Poor Things rewrites the rules of life, desire, and selfhood through the eyes of the heroine, played by Emma Stone. Converting myth into a fever dream demonstrates how Greek storytelling can be just as bold, provocative, and weird on the big screen. (Stream on Netflix)
Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
A 3rd-century BC Greek epic poem turned into an old-school mythic adventure, what could be more perfect? Loosely following The Argonautica by Apollonius Rhodius, Jason and the Argonauts quests through monsters and curses using entirely practical effects. This film will remind you why Jason became a legend in the first place. (Stream on YouTube and Tubi)
The Return (2024)
Another iteration of The Odyssey, this time stripped down to its emotional core. The Return follows what happens after Odysseus’s long, war-scarred journey home finally ends. Focusing less on spectacle and more on the emotional fallout and grief of The Odyssey, this film gives the epic a realist maturity that can sometimes feel swept away by the grandeur of his voyage. (Available on VOD/Digital)
Hercules (1997)
Who can forget Disney’s Hercules? Illustrating the demi-god with popping colors and gospel-style muses, this animated classic takes its job of recreating the timeless myth with an emphasis on enthusiasm. Hades becomes a quippy underworld king while the hero’s journey is spun with a stylistic flair. Hercules proves that Greek mythology can be playful and rewatchable at the same time. (Stream on Disney+)
Black Orpheus (1959)
Another classic film, Marcel Camus’s Black Orpheus adapts Vinicius de Moraes's play Orfeu da Conceição into a movie, bringing the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice to a contemporary favela in Rio de Janeiro on the silver screen. The tragic love story becomes a mix of samba and color, refusing to retell it as written and breathing new life into it under the Brazilian sun. It’s gorgeous, emotional, and intoxicating, putting rhythm to the romance that’ll move you long after it ends. (Stream on HBO Max)
Classic Greek epics and myths prove some stories are worth telling over and over again. And in the modern age, film has an almost magical ability to shine new light on such evergreen tales. So put down the books and watch a movie; whether you go to the theater to catch Nolan’s The Odyssey in IMAX or travel back in time to 1950s Rio de Janeiro with Camus’s Black Orpheus, you’ll be sure to gain a fresh perspective.
