Matt Damon in The Odyssey
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‘Desperate’ The Odyssey haters are stealing premiere photos to fake bad reviews

'They are getting desperate'

Daisy Phillipson
8th July 2026, 15:18
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Following a series of glowing first reactions from legitimate film critics, The Odyssey haters are giving their own reviews – and they’re seemingly turning to ‘desperate’ measures to do so. 

Christopher Nolan’s upcoming movie adapts Homer’s ancient Greek epic of the same name, and while there’s plenty of hype for the filmmaker’s next project, it’s also faced criticism online from right wing commentators including Elon Musk and Matt Walsh. 

A lot of focus has been placed on the casting of Black actress Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy and transgender actor Elliot Page as Sinon, with Musk calling Nolan a “worm” and Walsh suggesting the director is afraid of being called racist. 

Many have brushed off these comments as thinly veiled bigotry under the guise of concern over historical accuracy. 

As the BBC reported, Professor Daniel Mendelsohn – who recently published a new translation of Homer’s poem – expressed amusement over “all of these bros suddenly worrying about Greek literature”.

The early comments from real critics called The Odyssey a “staggering achievement” with “flawless filmmaking,” and there’s plenty of praise for the stacked cast. 

Since the first reactions dropped this week, there’s been much pushback, including multiple unfounded claims that critics were “paid” to give positive reviews – but some have taken this one step further. 

The Odyssey hates called out for stealing photos

At least two editors who actually attended early screenings of the film have now spoken out after their premiere photos were stolen and reposted alongside fabricated negative reviews.

One X user who goes by Shady Honey Facts wrote, “I finished watching The Odyssey and it felt extremely dull and drawn out. Performances were great but Tom Holland was easily the weakest for me. 

“I expected this to be a role where he could show his range but it didn’t work. Not much else to say, just disappointed.”

In response to a now-deleted comment, they wrote, “Hating on me for not liking a movie isn’t cool of you btw,” alongside a photo of their world premiere tickets. 

However, movie critic Jeremy Chopra shared their post and pointed out that this is, in fact, his image. 

“Wow this person’s managed to have a hand that looks exactly like mine and got a photo of my invite to #TheOdyssey Premiere from exactly the same angle as my photo and with the same person walking in front of it,” he wrote. “Shame they blocked comments to ask how.”

Separate user @unsexuaIIy posted a photo of the IMAX screen about to play the film. Alongside it, they wrote, “Snagged an early view to Nolan’s #TheOdyssey… and all I can say is YIKES. 

“Was severely underwhelmed and disappointed cause Nolan is one of my favorites. Bravo to Matt, Lupita, and Zendaya. The rest must have thought it was a Tubi set. Save your money and watch #TheInvite instead.”

Much like the last incident, this photo was stolen too, this time from Evan Romano, culture editor at Men’s Health. He shared their post and wrote, “Lol at this weird maniac stealing my photo from inside The Odyssey screening to post this.”

This bizarre trend has been spotted by others, with one writing, “This person (and shady honey facts below) are liars who lie and steal pictures. Embarrassing losers.”

Another commented, “Weirdos are stealing pictures to try to make their hate for #TheOdyssey look legitimate. They are getting desperate.”

Meanwhile, author and The Atlantic contributor, Derek Thompson, said, “Online seems divided between people who haven’t seen Nolan’s Odyssey and hate it, and people who actually saw Nolan’s Odyssey and liked it, it’s a rich debate.”

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Featured image credit: Universal Pictures/X