MST3K, RiffTrax, and Beyond: Cinema Playground Journal 2026: Week 29 (My Cinema Playground)

Multiplex Madness

The Odyssey

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Director: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, John Leguizamo, Himesh Patel, Elliot Page, Mia Goth

Last year, we got a film adaptation of one of my favorite stories from one of the most talented auteurs in the business right now, as Guillermo del Toro offered up his take on Frankenstein. This year, another one of my favorite stories was adapted by another auteur I respect, as Christopher Nolan brings The Odyssey to the big screen. Unlike Frankenstein, adaptations haven't been particularly kind to The Odyssey. There is an an Italian film from the 50's starring Kirk Douglas, a 90's TV miniseries, and a stripped down Ralph Fiennes movie from a few years ago, and none are particularly notable. Outside of that, the best you're going to do is the Coen Brothers reimagining O Brother, Where Art Thou? Finally, a big lavish Hollywood version of the epic poem by Homer ~~Simpson~~ has arrived. Is it all it can be?

It's pretty okay. Good, even. Fine, it rattled my bones and it's pretty fucking great. There. Is that what you want to read?

Based heavily in Greek history and mythology, The Odyssey sees Matt Damon taking the role of Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, who must journey back home after winning the Trojan War. Of course, like most things in ancient Greece, that's easier said than done. The journey takes years, as Odysseus and his men encounter obstacles creatures and mythical beings, which make the journey near impossible. The movie is primarily told in the framework of Odysseus trapped on the island of Calypso, as he regains his memory through flashback. Meanwhile, his wife Penelope maintains hope that he will return while their land is overrun by uncouth suitors who seek the throne. Nolan's love for nonlinear storytelling works pretty well here because a lot of this would be crammed in at the end of the film, otherwise. Knowing that there is more at stake than just Odysseus returning to his loved ones keeps his journey urgent throughout the movie, even though a lot of the events take place a decade prior to this.

Nolan's usual grounded stylization concerned me a little bit in this adaptation. Sometimes when Nolan mixes this with a fantastical element, it comes off uneven and I find myself in a lukewarm state. I think this really hurts The Prestige (though, I admit I'm alone in that opinion), makes Tenet more convoluted than it needs to be, and it holds me back from genuinely loving Inception as much as everyone else. With The Odyssey, Nolan tries to bend the fantastical to his stylization, trying to make the world of gods and monsters look feasible, and I think it's one of his more successful efforts. The creature design fits the grim and dangerous world he has crafted, and he also looks for unique takes on magic that are always interesting. Circe's island was a highlight for me, because he used elements of body horror that I've never seen him try, and I thought it was uniquely disturbing.

One thing I was less won over by is that the movie sometimes makes scenarios where Odysseus traditionally won by using his wits and allowed him to brute force his way through them. It felt to me like Nolan was trying to avoid whimsy, but it also occurred to me that by doing this, he was dumbing the character down and making him more action-focused. I had some back-and-forth over how much this bothered me, but I think the film comes together quite nicely in spite of it, so I'm willing to ignore it. The fact of the matter is the journey is long and hard, as it's supposed to be, and once we reach the conclusion, it settles in that we've fully earned the moment of reunion that we've been building toward. This might be Nolan's best movie. I'm not sure, but it's one that hit me harder than others. And it's an excellent version of a story that I am very fond of, which wins it some points in my heart.

Netflix & Chill

Black Box

⭐️1/2

Streaming On: VOD

Genre: Horror, Science Fiction

Director: Stephen Quale

Starring: Tom Brittney, Holly White, Boadicea Ricketts, Betsy-Blue English, Georgi S. Georgiev, Georgina Leonidas, Vaughn Johseph, Weronika Rosati, Cel Spellman

So, I guess The Odyssey is kinda the Grand Theft Auto VI of cinema and Nolan bullied all other movies out of competition this week, so I was left with limited options for expansion. I almost saw a movie called Honeyjoon at my arthouse, but I overslept and missed the showtime. Other than that, this movie hit VOD this week. Sure. Why not?

Black Box is very B-movie. It has a very thin script, looks like it was filmed quickly on a tight budget, and has mostly no-name actors who stiffly deliver expository dialogue and meaningless padding. I think the intent is to be an homage to 1950's paranoia sci-fi and a mish-mash of Twilight Zone elements, but it's so haphazardly thrown together that it feels like Roger Corman filling in for Rod Serling. The story, as it is, mostly takes place on an airplane, where passengers experience strange symptoms and weird phenomena happens surrounding their craft. People start getting panicky, until they find that whatever is on the outside is trying to take them. It's hard to explain what's going on in the movie and what does and doesn't work without getting into the nitty-gritty of the spoilers, but it's one of those movies that feels like it was written around an ending. And it's a pretty solid ending, if derivative of other works. The problem is that the destination doesn't make up for a script that doesn't feel interested in how we get there. Every character is a base personality that exists only to be cannon fodder, while the more fleshed out characters have defined traits that are practically meaningless to the story its telling, so who they are largely doesn't matter. The movie is a cheap, eighty minute throwback. If one had adequately low expectations, it might make for a quick free stream on Tubi. It's hard to justify the money I paid to rent it, though.

Movies Still Playing At My Theater

Backrooms ⭐️⭐️

Evil Dead Burn ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Invite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Mandalorian and Grogu ⭐️⭐️

Minions & Monsters ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Moana ⭐️1/2

Obsession ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Supergirl ⭐️⭐️1/2

Toy Story 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Young Washington ⭐️⭐️

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