Every Monster In 'The Odyssey', Explained
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (2026) brings an ancient, mystical adventure to the big screen like never before. As an adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey, much of the film follows the perilous journey of Odysseus (Matt Damon), who struggles to make it home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Throughout the years-long journey home, Odysseus faces many trials as the subject of divine wrath. However, it’s not just the wind and the sea that are against him, but mystical beings and monsters that test his fortitude.
While some of the monsters are instantly recognizable, such as Polyphemus, others are a little more obscure. If you’re interested in learning more about the monsters of The Odyssey, use our guide to get the details and background on each one.
Polyphemus
Polyphemus (Bill Irwin) is the first monster Odysseus and his crew stumble upon while trying to return home from the Trojan War. The crew stops on an island for supplies, following a herd of sheep into a cave, only to be trapped inside by the giant cyclops, Polyphemus. His design in The Odyssey is utterly terrifying: a giant, thin, humanoid being with a single eerie vertical eye. The man-eating giant helps himself to members of Odysseus’s crew, grabbing and eating them or simply stepping on and crushing them to death as they try to leave.
In the poem, Odysseus and his men tried to converse with Polyphemus. In the movie, though, the crew decides against reasoning with him, choosing instead to blind him while he sleeps. While in agony, he prays to Poseidon, revealing he’s the sea god’s son. As the crew escapes in The Odyssey, Odysseus pridefully and impulsively decides to fire another arrow at Polyphemus, enraging the cyclops and earning the ire of the gods for the unnecessary shot.
Laestrygonians
After escaping Polyphemus, Poseidon’s wrath sets Odysseus and his surviving crew off course. Finally, they come across another island and wander on shore, seeking help. On the island, they come across what appears to be a child, though it’s the size of a man. The child begins screaming, summoning a whole group of heavily armored giants, who begin killing Odysseus’s men with ease. Although they aren’t named in the movie, these are the Laestrygonians.
In Homer’s Odyssey, the Laestrygonians are also cannibals. They eat Odysseus’s crew and smash their ships with rocks in the poem. However, The Odyssey portrays them as more sophisticated, decorated with high-fantasy armor and swords. Despite not eating the crew, they still brutally murder almost all of his men, ripping apart all but one ship with their bare hands. Odysseus and a few members of his crew survive and flee the island in their last remaining ship.
Charybdis
After receiving guidance from the spirit of Tiresias (James Remar), Odysseus faces a terrible decision to confront either Charybdis or Scylla during his sea journey. If he sails toward Charybdis, he risks losing his entire crew. Odysseus knows they’ve reached the monster when the crew comes upon a massive whirlpool that threatens to suck in their ship.
The monster is rarely seen, as she dwells underwater. Multiple times a day, though, she swallows a large amount of water, dragging everything within range into her enormous mouth. The Odyssey’s take on her is actually in line with ancient depictions, which sometimes depict her as a whirlpool herself. In The Odyssey, Odysseus directs his crew to sail around Charybdis, though this puts them within Scylla’s reach.
Scylla
Tiresias tells Odysseus that, while Charybdis will destroy his entire crew, Scylla will kill just six of his men. Despite not wanting to lose any of his men, Odysseus has no choice but to direct his crew to sail toward Scylla. In The Odyssey, it’s hard to get a good look at Scylla, as she strikes so fast.
The multi-headed monster picks off six of Odysseus’s men in rapid succession. Its pale, long, thin, snake-like heads filled with razor-sharp teeth appear from the cliffside above the ship, taking Odysseus’s men and severely damaging the ship in the process.
The Sirens
In The Odyssey, Odysseus must find a way to save his men from the Sirens and their alluring song. Although none can resist the temptation of the Sirens’ song, Odysseus forms a plan, having all his men put wax in their ears while passing the Sirens by. However, he refuses the wax, asking his men to tie him to the mast because he’s curious about the Sirens’ song.
Viewers only see the Sirens, vague mermaid-esque figures, from afar. The scene instead focuses on the effect of their song on Odysseus, who screams and sobs as they pass by. It’s a powerful way to convey the temptation and agony the Sirens induce without showing them close-up or attempting to depict their actual song.
