Spoilers for Christopher Nolan’s take on The Odyssey are ahead! You can see the movie in theaters now. As I counted down the days to The Odyssey’s release on the 2026 movie schedule, and reactions started to come out, I was surprised to see the word “horror” thrown around. I know there are objectively horrific events in this story. However, I didn’t expect parts of Christopher Nolan’s book-to-screen adaptation to feel like a legit horror movie. However, after seeing it, I can confirm it is actually scary at times, and there’s one scene that really got me.The Scene Where Circe Turned The Men Into Pigs Is Terrifying I knew the men would be turned into pigs when they encountered Circe. I’m familiar with The Odyssey. I also watched the last season of Percy Jackson with a Disney+ subscription and saw the kids turn into guinea pigs. So, I’ve always seen and imagined this part of the story where Circe turns the men into pigs as magical and a bit silly. So, I was excited to see how Nolan adapted this chapter of the tale. What I didn’t expect was to feel like I was watching a body horror sequence. Now, early reactions to The Odyssey made note of how Christopher Nolan “embraces horror” in this film, as Erik Davis wrote. While I didn’t doubt that, I also didn’t anticipate Circe’s sequence to feel like a scene that should be in an upcoming horror film. From the jump, I was unsettled by her island. Then, when she got the men to start eating, and she started turning them into pigs by pulling at their faces, I was legitimately covering my eyes. It was so slow, visceral, painful, gory and torturous, and I loved it. I also adored Samantha Morton’s performance. She made it clear why Circe was doing this, and it was unsettling to see her walk around the table and literally manipulate the men into pigs in such a haunting way. I appreciated how they didn’t shy away from how tortured Circe is and this painful transformation process. So, while I was actively horrified watching the scene and could barely look at the screen, I also loved that I felt that way. There Are Plenty Of Other Scary Moments And Jump Scares Circe’s island was not the only horror-esque moment in The Odyssey, though. The other big one came in Polyphemus’ cave. The tension that built as the men tried to escape reminded me of the jaw-clenching anticipation I feel while watching a slasher. Meanwhile, there were also plenty of very effective jump scares that had me clutching my heart. For example, during the Scylla and Charybdis bit, when Scylla showed up, I didn’t just flinch; I also audibly gasped. The way Nolan and his team play with tension, anticipation, and effects helps make these moments creepy, and the performances of the actors help hammer home the horror of these chapters that create Odysseus's journey home. So, to see all this for yourself and to get a good scare, you can watch The Odyssey in theaters now.