Christopher Nolan is an award-winning film director known for films such as Memento, Batman Begins, and Inception. Throughout his decades-long career, Nolan has won numerous awards, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, one Golden Globe Award, and one Directors Guild Award. Nolan is currently the seventh-highest-earning director of all time, with his films grossing over $6 billion worldwide. His most recent works include Tenet and Oppenheimer, the latter of which garnered a lot of buzz this past awards season. Below, we’ll examine some of Nolan’s best works, narrowing down a list of the top five Christopher Nolan movies of all time. In no particular order, here are my top five Nolan films!
The Prestige
The Prestige stars Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as rival magicians in 1890s London. The dueling duo have a bitter feud going back decades, constantly trying to one-up each other on stage. Per the film’s synopsis, “After a tragic accident, two stage magicians in 1890s London engage in a battle to create the ultimate illusion while sacrificing everything they have to outwit each other.” The movie is an adaptation of the book of the same name by Christopher Priest. The book was originally released in 1995, while the film wasn’t released until 2006.
The Dark Knight
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The Dark Knight is a 2008 film starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. It is the second installment of The Dark Knight trilogy, which also includes Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Rises. The Dark Knight follows Batman as he faces his biggest challenge yet: Stopping the Joker from wreaking havoc on the people of Gotham. The Dark Knight is arguably the best Batman / Joker pairing since Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson; Heath Ledger’s performance in this role is iconic! Nobody in recent revivals can compare. It is one of my personal favorites of Nolan’s work to date.
Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer was Christopher Nolan’s latest project and was released in 2023. You might remember it as part of the notorious “Barbenheimer” marketing campaign, which created a friendly competition between two films that couldn’t have been more different. The film is a biopic of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, known for the creation of the hydrogen bomb. Oppenheimer is often referred to as “the father of the atom bomb” and served as the director of the infamous Manhattan Project, a program that came about during World War II, dedicated to researching and developing nuclear weapons. At the 96th Academy Awards, Oppenheimer officially became Nolan’s most-nominated film and went on to win seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Nolan.
Interstellar
Interstellar is a 2014 dystopian sci-fi film starring Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway, Timothee Chalamet, Mackenzie Foy, Matt Damon, and Michael Caine. The film follows a group of astronauts who travel to outer space to see if life can be sustained on other planets. With life on Earth becoming increasingly inhabitable, humankind must relocate to another planet if they are to survive. During their travels, the astronauts encounter a wormhole that alternates time as they know it.
I’m not being dramatic when I say that this movie had me on my knees sobbing! It is my personal favorite of all of Christopher Nolan’s movies. The themes of the film include endurance, human adaptability, stretching limitations, finding courage, and maintaining hope. I definitely recommend watching this, although be sure to have tissues on hand, as it is one of the saddest movies I have ever seen! For more Interstellar reviews, click here!
Dunkirk
Dunkirk is a fun who’s who of British actors; it seems like all up-and-coming British talent were a part in this movie at some point or another, with some playing larger roles than others. The film centers on the battle of Dunkirk during World War II. The movie depicts the battle that ensues when Germany advances on France during the battle on the beaches of Dunkirk. For the film, Christopher Nolan was nominated for Best Director at the 90th Academy Awards, although ultimately lost to Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water.
For a complete list of all Christopher Nolan’s films, click here!
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