The Odyssey is full of powerhouse performances. From Matt Damon's heroic Odysseus carrying the whole movie's narrative on his bow-stringing shoulders to a scene-stealing turn from Samantha Morton as witch Circe, whose performance is being favorably compared to Heath Ledger. However, there is another character in Christopher Nolan's film that has lingered with me after the credits roll – and it seems the internet agrees.
Benny Safdie's Agamemnon has become something of a phenomenon online since The Odyssey's release. Almost entirely hidden behind an epic helmet, he only appears on screen for a total of about four minutes. However, that hasn't stopped endless videos dissecting his role from flooding social media, and thinkpieces on something called "aura farming" (more on that later…).
Clad head to toe in armor with everything but his eyes covered, Safdie brings a physicality to the king of Mycenae that feels bigger than his limited role. He moves slowly but always with purpose and towers above everyone he shares the screen with. It's a captivating performance – and it feels like one that could be just enough to nab him a Best Supporting Actor nod at next year's Oscars, especially if we're in for an Odyssey sweep.
Strong and silent
For most of The Odyssey, Agamemnon is the strong and silent type. In charge of the Achaeans during the Trojan War, we see him recruiting his army. Nolan often films him from behind, focusing on his golden armor, at a distance from the audience. He feels like one of the first real monsters we see in the film, especially when he commits the horrifying act of sacrificing his young daughter to secure victory in the coming battle.
He's an embodiment of the brutality of this story and is an imposing villain, akin to Darth Vader, when he appears on screen. This is never more true than when the gates are opened to Troy and Agamemnon struts in with his men pouring in behind him. When Nolan finally shows us what happened that night in all of its horror, it's Agamemnon that haunts the screen as a force that cannot be stopped.
"I had to physically become more, I guess, strong as much as I could," Safdie told Screen Rant about playing the part. "When I saw the costume, I was like, all right, well I need to figure out how to move because everything was fastened practically as it would be back then. So everything moved and you just needed to really focus on your extremities and how you turn to talk to people."
It's what audiences online have been calling "aura", with conversations sparking about "aura farming," which apparently sees people deliberately behaving in a way to intentionally appear mysterious and cool. Search "Agamemnon" on social media and you'll pull up endless videos about this with audiences overlaying scenes of the performance with dramatic music. It's undeniable too, Safdie's slow-moving, purposeful walk carries with it an extraordinary gravitas.
However, beyond internet memes, The Smashing Machine director also brings a heavy emotion to the role – and his story is key to Odysseus's denouement.
Eye contact
As powerful as Safdie's physical performance is, for me it was his soulful delivery during the Hades sequence that elevated his role. Reanimated in the black sands of the land of the Cimmerians, we finally learn what happened to him. Returning home from the war a hero, he was bathed and anointed by his wife before she murdered him for killing their daughter.
As Agamemnon tells Odysseus his story with regret heavy in his eyes, he warns him not to make his mistakes. Enter in disguise, he tells him, and make sure you know your enemies first. It's advice that sets up the whole third act as Matt Damon's hero returns to Ithaca, and it hangs heavy over what should be his joyful homecoming.
Combined with Sinon's painful encounter with Odysseus in this sequence too, the scenes at the edge of the underworld are a standout in a film full of impressive moments. They're partly why Safdie's portrayal of the legendary Greek hero lingers so brightly in a film that he features in less than three percent of.
There's no telling yet how the Oscars will fall for The Odyssey, especially in the light of the sweep that Oppenheimer won in recent memory. However, it feels like Agamemnon may haunt the voters long into next year based on this early reception. It's just the kind of limited and powerful performance that could nab him a win come 2027. Let's see if his aura can last that long.
The Odyssey is out in theaters now. For more, check out our The Odyssey review, our beginner's guide to The Odyssey, and our breakdown of all The Odyssey monsters.
