Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, and Anne Hathaway in The Odyssey
News Christopher Nolan Film Now Showing The Odyssey

Why everyone’s complaining about iPhone face after ‘struggling’ with The Odyssey

'Not even those rags could make me believe it'

Daisy Phillipson
23rd July 2026, 17:19
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Christopher Nolan has done it again, with The Odyssey proving to be yet another feat in filmmaking. But that doesn’t mean it’s completely free of criticism, as the old “iPhone face” debate has crept back in. 

Now, that’s not to say Nolan didn’t go all out on authenticity. Yes, the script for Homer’s 3,000-year-old epic was made modern and the story changed, but the film used real, practical set pieces, from a legit Viking ship to the infamous Trojan horse. 

The cast was also carefully curated, with a long list of Hollywood heavyweights including Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o and Charlize Theron. 

But while the star power has undoubtedly helped turn the film into a box office phenomenon, it’s also sparked a debate, with some viewers complaining about iPhone face.

Lily-Rose Depp in Nosferatu
Credit: Universal Pictures

For the uninitiated, iPhone face is a term used to describe actors who essentially look too modern to convincingly appear in a period or historical film or TV show.

It’s most commonly associated with cosmetic procedures such as lip and facial fillers or veneers, but it can also be used to describe actors who have notably modern facial characteristics, Timothée Chalamet and Lily-Rose Depp being prime examples. 

Even Millie Bobby Brown came under fire for having a “fresh gel set” in a promo shot for Enola Holmes 3. 

Elaborating on the topic, Michael Sheehan, a behavioural ecologist and associate professor at Cornell University, told Dazed that our facial features have diversified over time, but evolution isn’t the reason for the iPhone face phenomenon.

“The perceived differences in appearance of people between the mid-20th century and now is almost certainly the result of stylistic, grooming or diet changes rather than facial evolution,” Sheehan explained.

Experts argue that one of the biggest differences between now and, say, 50 years ago is modern dentistry. 

All of this brings us to The Odyssey, where actors like Theron and Hathaway have reignited the debate. 

“Calypso having iPhone face,” wrote one X user, while another said, “I am rarely a person who is distracted by ‘iPhone face’ but Theron in The Odyssey was a struggle for me.” 

A third added, “Can’t take The Odyssey seriously because everyone has iPhone face.”

Theron’s Calypso seems to be the main talking point, with one writing, “Charlize Theron as Calypso didn’t work for me she looks straight out of a J’adore Dior TV ad, not even those rags could make me believe it.”

Another agreed, “Fr, it sucks coz Charlize is a good supporting actress to male leads in action films! And she is such an underrated villain in The Odyssey. I enjoyed her arc. Her iPhone face ruined it.”

Others have raised the right wing hate campaign against the film’s casting, saying the iPhone face issue for them is what should have been the talking point. 

“I cant believe people were complaining about POC being in The Odyssey when Tom Holland and Matt Damon both have the most distracting case of iPhone face, and Charlize Theron has buccal fat removal+botox… like the casting was bad but for every other reason,” said one.

Another commented, “Once you watch Odyssey, you will disagree with almost all of the casting discourse. Helen, Athena, none of the non-Greek soldiers take you out of the movie as much as Calypso. 

Charlize Theron in The Odyssey
Credit: Universal Pictures

“Charlize Theron appeared on the screen and I started laughing. That’s a modern 2026 iPhone face.”

Not everyone has faced the same comments, however. “Jon Bernthal has the opposite of iPhone face, whenever I see him play a normal modern guy I’m like you should be eating stew in a dungeon somewhere,” wrote one person. 

Of course, there are just as many audience members who don’t think iPhone face is a real problem. For many, it’s simply another way of saying an actor is too famous or glamorous for historical settings. 

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Featured image credit: Universal Pictures