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The Return

Play trailer 2:15 Poster for The Return R,  2024,  1h 56m,  Adventure/ Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
The Return: Trailer 1 The Return: Trailer 1 Now Playing The Return: Featurette - Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche The Return: Featurette - Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche Now Playing View more videos
Watchlist 78% 95 Reviews Tomatometer - - Popcornmeter
78% Tomatometer 95 Reviews Popcornmeter
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.
The Return

What to Know

Critics Consensus

The Return removes the mythology from Odysseus' homecoming along with some of the fun, but Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche's terrific performances keep this drama absorbing.

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Critics Reviews

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Ty Burr Ty Burr's Watch List (Substack) Dec 6, 2025
3.5/4
t’s a haunting, primal first feature about two young brothers and the reappearance of their long-absent father. Go to Full Review
Ben Nicholson Sight & Sound Nov 5, 2025
Eschewing the fantastical voyages not only allows Pasolini to ground his version of the story in a more realistic setting but brings the psychology of the characters to the fore. Go to Full Review
Wendy Ide Observer (UK) Apr 15, 2025
4/5
The main draw is the cast, with Ralph Fiennes sinewy and racked by self-doubt and guilt as Odysseus, returned from war after a 20-year absence, and a compelling turn from Juliette Binoche as Penelope. Both are terrific, but Binoche is the standout. Go to Full Review
Christopher Lloyd The Film Yap Jul 6, 2026
4/5
Ralph Fiennes is a stoic figure full of lamentation in this contemplative, almost dreamy depiction of Odysseus' return to Ithaca to reclaim his kingdom after the Trojan War. Go to Full Review
Stephen A. Russell sbs.com.au Jun 9, 2026
Pasolini tips us headlong into this thorny conundrum in a theatrical rendition full of Shakespearean gravitas. If you love the drama, The Return has it in abundance. Go to Full Review
Yasser Medina Cinefilia Apr 2, 2026
5/10
I find it forgettable when it loses the trace of epicness, which ultimately ignores the mythological possibilities of Homer's original work. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
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The Return

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Uberto Pasolini

Director

Ralph Fiennes

Odysseus

Juliette Binoche

Penelope

Charlie Plummer

Telemachus

Marwan Kenzari

Antinous

Claudio Santamaria

Eumeo

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The Return

The Return: Featurette - Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche The Return: Featurette - Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche 1:00 Now Playing The Return: Trailer 1 The Return: Trailer 1 2:15 Now Playing View more videos
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The Return

The Return (2024) The Return (2024) View more photos

Movie Info

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
John Collee, Edward Bond, Uberto Pasolini
Distributor
Bleecker Street
Production Co
Redwave Films
Rating
R (Language|Graphic Nudity|Some Sexual Content|Violence)
Genre
Adventure, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 6, 2024, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 27, 2024
Runtime
1h 56m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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