Lupita Nyong'o has garnered critical praise for her role as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan's new film, "The Odyssey." The Oscar-winning actress was seen in New York on Thursday, radiating smiles as she attended press events for the epic movie.
The reviews, which lifted on Wednesday, have highlighted Nyong'o's "vivid" performance. Her casting as Helen of Troy, the mythological figure whose beauty allegedly sparked the Trojan War, had previously drawn criticism on social media. Elon Musk, owner of X, publicly agreed with a post from conservative pundit Matt Walsh, who questioned Nyong'o's suitability for the role and suggested Nolan would face accusations of racism if he cast a white actress as the "most beautiful woman."
This criticism prompted pushback from figures such as Alec Baldwin and Jimmy Kimmel. Nyong'o, however, addressed the controversy in an interview with Elle, stating her support for director Christopher Nolan's vision. "I'm very supportive of Chris's intention with it and with the version of this story that he is telling," Nyong'o said. "Our cast is representative of the world." She added that she does not intend to engage with the criticism, noting, "The criticism will exist whether I engage with it or not."
Nolan, speaking to TIME, drew a parallel between his casting approach for "The Odyssey" and his 2014 film "Interstellar." "For 'Interstellar,' you're looking at: What is the best speculation of the future? When you're looking at the ancient past, it's actually the same thing," Nolan explained. "What is the best speculation, and how can I use that to create a world?"
He acknowledged that disagreement is possible, stating, "Hopefully they'll enjoy the film, even if they don't agree with everything." Nolan recalled that "Interstellar" also faced criticism from scientists but emphasized the importance of not approaching such projects "frivolously."
Reviewers have largely lauded the film. Esquire noted that the "only 'travesty' about casting Lupita as Helen of Troy is the 'waste of her talent in such a small role.'" Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent awarded the film five stars, commenting that "it's the women who steal the show." Matt Zoller Seitz, Editor-at-Large at RogerEbert.com, described Nolan's casting as "not just defensible but inspiring." Danny Leigh of the Financial Times called Nyong'o's performance "vivid and bristling" and suggested she "deserves more screen time."
"The Odyssey" has achieved a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on over 60 reviews, positioning it as Nolan's highest-rated film to date, surpassing "The Dark Knight's" 94% critic score.
