A Reel Opinion: Don't Read Ahead

Next week, in what is shaping up to be the cinematic event of 2026, Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of THE ODYSSEY arrives in theatres. The film, which is based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic, has sparked a mad rush to bookstores (physical or virtual), to brush-up on the material. This is a common, and somewhat annoying occurrence: the desire to do homework, or to know the story in advance before seeing the film. This Blogger’s advice: Don’t. 

 

For many, reading the book (or comic, or poem), first seems like an obvious choice. But watching the film first can create a more enjoyable, and most especially, surprising experience (hello, spoilers!). Movies are made to tell stories through visuals, performances, and music. Seeing those elements without already knowing the story allows us to feel excitement, suspense, and emotion with a clean slate. 

 

Reading the book first leads to inevitable comparisons. Readers become attached to specific descriptions and scenes, making it easy to focus on things the film had changed, instead of appreciating the film as its own creative work. Viewers can (and have), hijack their own cinematic experience by picking out what wasn’t in the book. 

 

Watching the movie first clears those expectations. It allows the film to stand on its own merits. And reading the book later allows us to explore the richer and more detailed world. The book then becomes an expansion of the story instead of a checklist of missing content. 

 

So don’t read ahead. Let the cinematic experience do what it does best.