Odyssey

Odyssey, not to be mistaken with the upcoming Christopher Nolan adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey, follows Natasha Flynn (Polly Maberly), a drug-fueled London estate agent, who hides her self-inflicted problems behind her work. When loan sharks offer cash to hide a kidnapped agent, she is dragged into the grimy underworld of London, leading to a bloody showdown. Following a riveting central performance from Natasha Flynn, the narrative is divided into days of the week as it follows a 9-to-5 in real estate, reminiscent of Uncut Gems (2019), as it tracks a deeply flawed protagonist scheming their way through an anxiety-inducing game of settling debts.

You are immediately thrust into a character-driven exploration of greed, as the darkly comedic undertone and gritty backdrop of London suitably accompany the tone throughout the first act. While real estate isn't the most compelling premise, the piece does a solid job of genuinely investing the viewer, even when it's challenging to sympathise with Natasha’s insufferable behaviour towards others. Matt Johnson’s synth musical score works incredibly well with the sleek and stylish look of the film; however, the washed-out colour grading is a distracting choice that becomes a detriment to the solid framing and blocking. There are interesting and stylish ideas at play as it makes fantastic use of its limited budget with neon-drenched nightclub sequences edited erratically from the point of view of Natasha in a drug-induced state. An incredibly visceral formal decision, as Gerard Johnson’s direction is urgent and engaging, exploring the streets of London with its primary theme of excess. The inclusion of a split diopter shot is another incredible choice that makes the piece stand out in its technical prowess.

After an appealing first act, the narrative aimlessly meanders into a tonal redirect with the filmmakers seemingly unsure of where to take the story from there. Is it a real estate drama or a crime thriller? A tighter and focused plot primarily set around Natasha and the real estate agency would’ve kept the piece far more compelling, as the stakes feel less significant when it jarringly switches to an action-oriented experience. The use of gore feels entirely forced for the sake of shock value, and the narrative loses its edge thanks to a plethora of bland supporting players, turning into an action film in vain of the John Wick series. While the action sequences are indeed well-choreographed and framed, it is a baffling choice and comes out of nowhere. The conclusion also feels rushed and monotonous, almost ruining the entire experience and making the prolonged set-up feel ultimately unearned and pointless.

A further exploration into Natasha’s past life would have made her characterisation more profound and given the piece the thematic flair to deepen the viewers’ emotional resonance towards her. It is simply challenging to truly stay on board with her horrid personality as the narrative gets deeper into the third act. A prolonged runtime really doesn't help the pacing issues within the second half, and trimming the piece down to a tighter runtime could have made the final cut much more engaging.

Odyssey is a mixed bag of some astounding ideas on paper; however, the execution is uneven and leads to a jarring tonal shift and identity crisis in its genre sensibilities. It's competently shot and edited, and led by a terrific performance from Polly Maberly. Sadly, the final film is a waste of the incredible talent involved and an unfortunate misstep in Gerard Johnson’s filmography thus far.

Icon Film Distribution presents Odyssey in UK cinemas from 7 November 2025.