Can't see The Odyssey in theaters? Matt Damon's great sci-fi movie is the perfect weekend watch

Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Published Jul 26, 2026, 9:06 AM EDT After graduating from Marist University with a degree in communications and journalism, Dan Girolamo has over 10 years of experience writing about entertainment and sports. Dan's work can be seen in various publications, including Digital Trends, SportsCasting, and Tom's Guide. Throughout his career, Dan has interviewed several high-profile filmmakers and creatives, including Brendan Fraser, Jamie Lee Curtis, Caitriona Balfe, Frank Grillo, Miranda Cosgrove, Jai Courtney, Chris Columbus and James Cameron. Dan joins How-To Geek as a Senior Editor. When he's not writing about entertainment, Dan is either watching a movie or praying for the New York Knicks to win a championship. Sign in to your How-To Geek account If you're having trouble landing IMAX tickets to The Odyssey, another Matt Damon movie now streaming on Prime Video. The sci-fi epic is the perfect weekend watch, especially for fans of the famous Boston native. Matt Damon finds himself far from home Mark Watney, space pirate Like many of his movies, The Martian has Damon playing a character trying to get home. Other examples built around this idea include Saving Private Ryan, Interstellar, and The Odyssey. Based on Andy Weir's novel, The Martian stars Damon as Mark Watney, an astronaut who is mistakenly left for dead by his crew during a storm on Mars. Mark manages to survive his injuries, but he's faced with a bigger problem: How is he going to survive on Mars alone? In his words, "I'm gonna have to science the s*** out of this." Mark manages to survive for over a year thanks to some genius maneuvers, which include growing potatoes using human waste and contacting NASA through an old probe. With the entire world watching, NASA attempts a dangerous rescue mission involving Mark and the crew that left him behind. Credit: 20th Century Fox Directed by Ridley Scott, The Martian received rave reviews, with many praising the film's combination of humor, sci-fi, and adventure. The Martian became the highest-grossing movie of Scott's career at $630 million worldwide. The Martian arguably featured Damon's best leading performance since the Bourne series. Damon received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor and won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. The Odyssey's theatrical dilemma Demand is through the roof It's only been one week, but The Odyssey already feels like the movie event of the year. Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic poem stars Damon in the lead role of Odysseus, the Greek king who embarks on a treacherous journey home after the Trojan War. A movie of this size and scope—filmed across six countries with a $250 million budget—is a rarity in today's Hollywood. Nolan is one of the rare filmmakers to successfully eventize his movies. They are must-see movies where fans return to the theaters multiple times to experience it on the biggest screen possible. Released on July 17, The Odyssey opened to $123.5 million domestically and roughly $264.1 million worldwide, with the latter becoming Nolan's biggest worldwide opening ever. The Odyssey might be the movie event of Nolan's career because it's the first film to be shot entirely on IMAX 70mm cameras. The IMAX 70mm tickets are the rarest in town, and they can only be obtained in about 26 theaters around the U.S. These tickets are in high demand, as they are selling out more than seven weeks in advance in some cities. You can see The Odyssey in other Premium Large Formats (PLF), but even those tickets are difficult to obtain during the prime showtime hours. If you're waiting to see The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm or in a PLF, then stream The Martian while you wait. The Odyssey Release Date July 15, 2026 Runtime 173 minutes Director Christopher Nolan