The Odyssey with Neil Laird

About this episode

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 388) — Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (2026) brings Homer’s epic journey to the screen as we follow Matt Damon’s Odysseus from the Trojan War through monsters, sirens, and a long road home. In this episode, we'll learn from author and former documentary filmmaker Neil Laird about the historical accuracy of the movie and how well it ties into Homer’s Odyssey. Guest Links • Prime Time Troy: https://links.boatspodcast.com/388troy • Prime Time Pompeii: https://links.boatspodcast.com/388pompeii • Prime Time Travelers: https://links.boatspodcast.com/388travelers • Neil Laird's Website: https://links.boatspodcast.com/388guest Chapters 0:00 Letter grade & Homer’s Odyssey 3:30 Troy (2004) vs The Odyssey (2026) 9:30 Monsters, cyclopses and mythical beasts 14:30 Circe’s island and men turned to pigs 19:30 Hades, Achilles and war guilt 23:30 Sirens, Scylla, Charybdis and hard choices 37:30 Calypso, lost years and the long road home Support my work • Join the BOATS community: https://links.boatspodcast.com/community • Become a BOATS Producer (name in credits + ad-free episodes): https://links.boatspodcast.com/producers • Support my sponsors: