People Are Defending Tom Holland’s Acting In This Viral “The Odyssey” Scene
People Are Defending Tom Holland’s Acting In This Viral “The Odyssey” Scene
Leyla MohammedThu, August 13, 2026 at 3:58 PM UTC
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Mild spoilers for The Odyssey ahead!
It’s been almost a month since Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation of Homer’s Ancient Greek poem The Odyssey was released, and it’s sparked some very mixedreactions.
Melinda Sue Gordon / © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
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Some people praised Nolan for managing to make a “3,000-year-old story feel fresh and original again” with his writing.
Melinda Sue Gordon / © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett CollectionOthers took issue with the film’s “gimmicky” narrative structure, lack of depth, and “underwritten” female characters.
© Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett CollectionBut one talking point in particular that has picked up steam on X this week questions Tom Holland’s acting.
Eamonn M. McCormack / Getty ImagesOf course, Tom plays Telemachus, son of Matt Damon’s leading Odysseus, in the epic action fantasy.
© Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
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In the original text, Telemachus is roughly 20 years old and widely viewed as juvenile, notably lacking the ability to command respect from the numerous suitors vying to marry his mother, Penelope, while Odysseus is away.
Melinda Sue Gordon / © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett CollectionIn one scene that has now gone viral, Telemachus attempts to silence the arrogant and violent suitors by shouting, “Enough! The feast is done!”
© Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
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Several people have since criticized Tom’s delivery of the line, suggesting that his acting was “laughable” and “so bad.” “this being the moment this film lost me for good like what are we doing here,” one popular post read. “Tom's acting is so bad here, it dawned on me that acting is fucking difficult lmao,” said another.
Samir Hussein / Getty Images“thank god tom holland has spiderman,” someone said. “his acting is literally laughable.. he just don't got it bruh,” another user wrote.
© Sony Pictures Releasing / © Marvel Entertainment / Courtesy Everett CollectionHowever, several users have since jumped to Tom’s defense, arguing that his feeble delivery made perfect sense given his character’s lack of strength. “he did it perfectly a small guy trying to act intimidating to bigger guys hes supposed to look awkward and weak,” someone said, while another added, “This is good acting from Tom, IMO. Telemachus even when angry isn’t taken seriously by the room and looks like a toddler comparatively.”
Melinda Sue Gordon / © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection“isnt his role supposed to be a guy that tries to be intimidating but isnt..?” one person echoed. “if you watched the film with your eyes open, understood his character, his acting here would make sense,” another post read.
Amy Sussman / Getty Images
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“am i crazy for thinking this was perfectly portrayed for telemachus,” someone said, adding, “whether it was intentional or not lol.”
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“you really think nolan would’ve added a horribly executed attempt to be intimidating and scary to the final cut if the character was actually supposed to be intimidating and scary?” one more user questioned.
Let us know what you think in the comments!
More on thisThe First Reviews Just Dropped For "The Odyssey," And Everyone Is Saying This One Exact ThingRaven Ishak· July 15, 2026This Brutal Review Of “The Odyssey” Is Going Viral, And People Have A LOT Of ThoughtsEllen Durney· July 29, 2026It’s Time To Find Out Which "The Odyssey" Character You Really AreJada Gomez· July 16, 2026
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
