Pat and Tim Talk about The Oddessy and other Films.Pat and Tim Talk about The Oddessy and other Films.
Learning to Lose
Pat, Tim and friends chat about The Odyssey, IMAX screenings, and how it stacks up against other Christopher Nolan films, with plenty of digressions into sequels, superheroes and classic fantasy. The conversation blends film nerdery, humour and a brief nod to staying present in everyday life.
31:37•20 Aug 2026
Film Obsessions, The Odyssey, and Christopher Nolan Debated
Episode Overview
- Big-screen formats like IMAX 70mm can change how a complex film such as The Odyssey feels, but most modern cinemas still offer a strong experience.
- Some films, especially dense or myth-based stories, may need more than one viewing to really grasp their rhythm and emotional core.
- Rewatchability is a key measure of a "favourite" film for the hosts, often outranking critical reputation or hype.
- Turning on subtitles at home highlights how often modern sound mixes make dialogue hard to follow, especially in large-scale sci‑fi and fantasy films.
- Trying to look at your phone while talking to someone means neither task gets proper attention, hinting at the value of single‑task focus.
“If the odyssey is what I think it is not only is it Christopher Nolan's best film but it's the best film ever made.”
What remarkable journeys have people faced head-on against addiction? On Learning to Lose, that usually means raw chats about sobriety and mental health, but here Pat and Tim take a breather and geek out over films, proving recovery life includes plenty of cinema obsession too. This conversation circles around "The Odyssey" and whether seeing it in IMAX 70mm really matters.
Tim talks about hunting down showings through Fandango and jokes about how "once they get your credit card in, you're in for life." Pat presses him for a rating and hears that it’s the kind of film you might need to see twice just to catch its rhythm.
At one point, someone claims, "If the Odyssey is what I think it is, not only is it Christopher Nolan's best film but it's the best film ever made," setting the tone for some serious fan-level debate. Greek mythology, tall tales, and exaggerated emotions all become talking points as they relate the story structure of The Odyssey to how stories used to be told: bigger, stranger, and more dramatic than real life.
From there, the chat zigzags into Christopher Nolan rankings, why Oppenheimer didn’t land for them emotionally, and which sequels beat the originals. They dig into world-building in films like Interstellar, The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, and various Batman and Marvel titles, arguing over favourite versions of Batman and what makes a superhero origin story satisfying.
Along the way, there's a surprisingly grounded aside about how multitasking on your phone means you're "not doing any of them right" – a neat nod to the show’s usual focus on being present and honest. If you’re sober, sober-curious, or just someone who loves deep film chat with plenty of laughs and tangents, this one gives you permission to obsess over movies and still care about your mental health.
Which Christopher Nolan film would you put at the top of your list?
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