'The Odyssey' translator doubles down on criticism of Christopher Nolan's blockbuster

Wilson found the film "emotionally empty" arguing it focuses heavily on spectacle, overlooking compassion and humanity

Emily Wilson, whose acclaimed English translation of Homer's The Odyssey influenced Christopher Nolan's film adaptation, has doubled down on her criticism of the blockbuster, arguing that modern audiences need art with greater emotional and ethical depth.

Speaking on NPR's Fresh Air, Wilson defended the strongly worded review she published in the London Review of Books, where she described Nolan's screenplay as "abysmal" and said she would be "ashamed" to have written it. She reiterated that she found the film "emotionally empty", arguing it focuses too heavily on spectacle while overlooking the compassion and humanity at the heart of Homer's epic.

Wilson said the original poem explores the necessity of empathy, community and moral responsibility alongside adventure, themes she believes are largely absent from Nolan's adaptation. She argued that audiences deserve stories that engage with those ideas in a meaningful way, particularly during periods of global conflict and uncertainty.

Her remarks have extended a heated literary debate that began after her original review went viral. Author Joyce Carol Oates criticised Wilson's tone, arguing that creative adaptations should be allowed artistic freedom, while many readers and film fans have defended Nolan's interpretation as a distinct vision rather than a direct translation of Homer's work.

Despite Wilson's criticism, The Odyssey has become one of 2026's biggest cinematic successes, earning critical acclaim and huge box office returns while also driving renewed global interest in Homer's epic. Sales of Wilson's own translation have surged since the film's release, introducing a new generation of readers to the ancient Greek classic.