The Return

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The Return

R

In Theaters Fri Dec 6

1h 56m

Adventure

Drama

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Popcornmeter

85%

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13 Reviews

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After 20 years away, Odysseus (Ralph Fiennes) washes up on the shores of Ithaca, haggard and unrecognizable. The King has returned from the Trojan War, but much has changed in his kingdom. His beloved wife Penelope (Juliette Binoche) is a prisoner in her own home, hounded by suitors vying to be king. Their son Telemachus faces death at the hands of these suitors, who see him as merely an obstacle to their pursuit of the kingdom. Odysseus has also changed--scarred by his experience of the Trojan war, he is no longer the mighty warrior from years past--but he must rediscover his strength in order to win back all that he has lost.

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Uberto Pasolini

Director

Ralph Fiennes

Odysseus

Juliette Binoche

Penelope

Charlie Plummer

Telemachus

Marwan Kenzari

Antinous

Tom Rhys Harries

Pisander

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Steve Pond

TheWrap

It’s gritty and dirty and eventually smeared with blood, but it takes its time and weighs every word.

Oct 15, 2024

Full Review

Zachary Lee

RogerEbert.com

There’s an inherent and sweeping tragedy to “The Return” that makes Pasolini’s film feel truly epic, namely in the ways the visual language of the film mourns the bloodshed that would otherwise thrill in a picture like this.

Sep 13, 2024

Full Review

Frank Scheck

Hollywood Reporter

Reminiscent of another Pasolini, Pier Paolo, in its minimalist take on a classic story, the film relies mainly on the elemental power of Fiennes and Binoche, both suitably haunting as the long-separated lovers who have lapsed into emotional despair.

Sep 11, 2024

Full Review

Ankit Jhunjhunwala

The Playlist

Fiennes displays an impressively sinewy and shredded physique through much of “The Return.” He uncorks fiery machismo and badassery in his action scenes that we seldom see from him.

Rated: A-

Sep 21, 2024

Full Review

Jason Gorber

Collider

The Return, in ways both gentle and overt, draws back the bow of tension until it’s finally released, culminating in a way that’s less cathartic, and more the feeling of inevitability.

Rated: 7/10

Sep 16, 2024

Full Review

Abe Friedtanzer

Cinema Daily US

This is a worthwhile story about fatherhood, family, and community, but this adaptation doesn’t dig too deep to reveal anything new about an ancient and widely-read tale.

Rated: C+

Sep 15, 2024

Full Review

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Synopsis

After 20 years away, Odysseus (Ralph Fiennes) washes up on the shores of Ithaca, haggard and unrecognizable. The King has returned from the Trojan War, but much has changed in his kingdom. His beloved wife Penelope (Juliette Binoche) is a prisoner in her own home, hounded by suitors vying to be king. Their son Telemachus faces death at the hands of these suitors, who see him as merely an obstacle to their pursuit of the kingdom. Odysseus has also changed--scarred by his experience of the Trojan war, he is no longer the mighty warrior from years past--but he must rediscover his strength in order to win back all that he has lost.

Director: Uberto Pasolini
Producer: Uberto Pasolini, James Clayton, Roberto Sessa, Giorgos Karnavas, Konstantinos Kontovravkis, Stéphane Moatti, Romain Le Grand, Vivien Aslanian, Marco Pacchioni
Screenwriter: Uberto Pasolini, Edward Bond, John Collee
Distributor: Bleecker Street
Production Co: Bleecker Street Films
Rating: R (Violence|Graphic Nudity|Some Sexual Content|Language)
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 6, 2024, Wide
Runtime: 1h 56m