Christopher Nolan's Peloton Instructor Panned One of His Movies Mid-Class

Blockbuster director Christopher Nolan has helmed some impressive projects in his time, from Batman movies to war epics like Dunkirk and last year's Oppenheimer. And while his works are often lauded for their scale and their storytelling, they're not for everyone.

Nolan got to experience this firsthand in the unlikeliest of places: during a Peloton class. On Jan. 3, he spoke at the New York Film Critics Circle dinner and reflected on the role of critics—specifically, regular people with opinions rather than professional film critics—in the reception of his art. He went on to recount the sweaty interaction that surprised him mid-workout.

"I was on my Peloton. I’m dying. And the instructor started talking about one of my films and said, 'Did anyone see this? That’s a couple hours of my life I’ll never get back again!'" he remembered. He didn't name the film or when the incident happened, so the exact project the instructor was talking about remains a mystery. He joked that he's fine with professional critics like Rex Reed airing such opinions, saying when he "takes a shit on your film he doesn’t ask you to work out."

"In today’s world, where opinions are everywhere, there is a sort of idea that film criticism is being democratized, but I for one think the critical appreciation of films shouldn’t be an instinct but it should be a profession," he added.

Nolan ended up taking home the award last night for best director, adding to the growing list of accolades for Oppenheimer. Clearly, he still has some fans out there, just perhaps not in the fitness world.