Christopher Nolan is one of the most respected and well-known directors of our time, and for good reason. His movies have mind-bending concepts, immaculate cinematography that pushes the boundary of what’s possible, and he has a way with the narrative that’s quite unique and recognizable.
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Over the years, Nolan has amassed a fortune from his excursions onto the big screen, with almost all of his movies being acclaimed successes. By most standards, all of Nolan’s films are masterpieces, but when comparing to each other, some shine brighter than the rest.
10The Dark Knight Rises
The weakest out of the threeBatmanmovies that Nolan directed, The Dark Knight Rises just doesn’t meet the expectations by the critically acclaimed The Dark Knight, and even falls a little short of Batman Begins.
The villain isn’t as compelling, the actions scenes fall short, and perhaps most worryingly of all, Batman is barely in the movie at all. Of course, it’s still better than 90% of superhero movies, but there’s no denying that it’s not up to Nolan’s usual standards.
9Batman Begins
The first movie of the three movie series holds a special place in many people’s hearts. After the rubber nipple fiasco of Batman & Robin, the caped crusader desperately needed a fresh beginning, and that’s exactly what Batman Begins was.
Christian Bale’s take on the character was amazing. When combined with Christopher Nolan’s grounded plot and story telling, it single-handedly revived the dying IP.
Memento has an incredible plot, with an even better execution. Sometimes, the pitch of a movie alone is enough to get the audience interested, and the trailer enough to keep them engaged. Memento is that kind of movie.
A man loses the ability to make new memories, doomed to always repeat what he’s done. With the goal to avenge his wife, he uses markings and clues left behind by himself to put together a gripping narrative and open up pandora’s box.
One of Nolan’s more recent projects, Tenet is a bit of a cerebral experience. He takes his mind-bending ideas and pushes them to their very limit, creating the kind of movie nobody is likely to understand on their first viewing.
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Released soon after the first lockdown of Covid ended, Tenet was tasked with the impossible job of reviving the entire cinema industry. Unfortunately, it couldn’t quite meet critic’s expectations, being too jam packed with impossible scenes. Just thinking about the way Nolan must have directed the backward fight scenes gives you a headache.
6Inception
Perhaps the most recognizable of Nolan’s creations, Inception, starring the titular Leonardo DiCaprio, is what really brought the director to the limelight. The movie showcases his incredible cinematic capabilities and introduces audiences to his brand of non-linear story telling.
Inception is an incredibly influential movie in the industry.
It has heavily influenced a lot of media that’s come after its release. The idea of going into a dream inside a dream inside a dream is just that compelling. While the mechanics of the endeavor can be taken apart and dissected for inconsistencies, the idea itself is great.
5Oppenheimer
Visually, Oppenheimer is definitely the culmination of everything that Nolan has worked on. It is a grounded biopic that centers on one of the most important figures of humanity’s history. It has some of the best looking explosions in all of cinema, even without the use of any CGI at all. Whether he used miniatures or life-sized explosions, he made it work, and he made it work well.
Capturing thought processes and revelations is a big hurdle that directors face. While the book can just narrate the thoughts of the subject, the same can’t be done in movies — at least not without boring the audience. Nolan has always been good at this, and it’s never been as evident as in Oppenheimer, where he manages to capture the essence of the character, show his thoughts and compunctions, and not trip the boredom wires while doing so.
4The Prestige
Non-linear story telling is a staple of Nolan’s work. Retroactively revealing a small detail that re-frames the entire story near the end of the movie is something that he loves to do, and the Prestige is the perfect example of that particular phenomenon.
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One plot twist after another, each one revealing things that the viewer never would’ve thought could’ve been possible, is what makes the Prestige such a compelling story. The twists and turns feel earned, each one being foreshadowed perfectly and making perfect sense in the context of the film. If you’ve somehow missed this masterpiece, go and watch it right now.
3The Dark Knight
Who can forget the incredible performance ofHeath Ledger’s iconic Joker? While the first movie was a great way to bring the franchise back into the limelight and show audiences what’s possible with the help of a great director, The Dark Knight showed them how much further the franchise could soar. Everything from the costume design and sound mixing to the fight scenes and acting is perfect.
After giving us one of the best Joker performances in the history of the villain, Heath Ledger was forever immortalized in the eyes of fans. Christian Bale’s Batman was, similarly, granted a deity like status, being lauded as one of his greatest performances. Without a doubt, The Dark Knight isthe best of the three Batman moviesthat Nolan took part in.
Best seen on a 70mm IMAX, like many of Nolan’s works, Dunkirk is a collection of phobias and horrifying scenery of a horrifying war. It’s considered one of the best war movies, and that’s saying something considering how many great war movies we’ve gotten over the years.
From the uncommon squarish aspect ratio, to the intense sound design and perfectly crafted visuals, everything about this movie is made to feel grueling. Hoyte van Hoytema delivers an incredible experience for the eyes, capturing the harrowing nature of the war in incredible detail. Dunkirk focuses on making you feel the movie rather than listen to it, with scenes that go on for minutes without any actual dialogue, making for an incredible experience.
1Interstellar
Interstellar is the best movie that Christopher Nolan ever made, and that’s not likely to change any time soon. For anyone with some background in the sciences, Interstellar is unforgettable. The incredible imagery that Nolan evokes, the intense emotions he commands, and the level of scientific accuracy he achieves, it’s just astonishing.
A disaster film, an action film, and a mystery all rolled into one, Interstellar delivers the kind of package that you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. A riveting story accompanied by fantastic visuals, edge-of-your-seat action, and fantastic acting brings to you this masterpiece.
