Here's a List of the Best Christopher Nolan Movies, Including 'Oppenheimer'
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Over the years, Christopher Nolan has become a household name. That's just what happens when you make blockbuster after blockbuster! Right now, the director is the talk of the town in Hollywood thanks to his most recent movie, Oppenheimer. The historical movie has scored 13 nominations at this year's Academy Awards, including the award for Best Director! It might come as a surprise that Nolan has never won this award before, especially if you know that he's responsible for some of the best super hero movies and psychological thrillers out there! In fact, Nolan has 12 movies that he's directed himself, all deserving of recognition. We went ahead and listed them in order of release date.
Some of you may be diehard Christoper Nolan fans, and already know every movie on this list. Others may recognize (and have even watched) some of these flicks, but just didn't realize that Nolan was the one who directed them! For instance, did you know that he directed the famous Batman trilogy?! There are also some instant classics, like Memento, which basically secured his name in the industry. As we approach Oscar night, go ahead and check out these Christopher Nolan movies—you might just find your next idea for family movie night!
Following (1998)
Nolan's first film is about a writer who finds a continued source of inspiration from the lives of everyday strangers. He ends up taking the term "people watching" to a whole new level, secretly following people around to learn more about them for his stories. But, he stumbles into some trouble when he begins following someone who turns out to be a thief.
Memento (2000)
Memento follows a man who will do anything to find the people responsible for his wife's death. The main problem, however, is that he suffers from short term memory loss after a grueling accident. While he may remember things from before his accident, he's unable to account for things that happened just hours before. This is when his natural wits kick in.
Insomnia (2002)
Al Pacino plays a detective who is tasked with investigating the death of an Alaskan teen. His primary suspect (played by Robin Williams) is extremely clever, having the detective question what is real and what isn't.
Batman Begins (2005)
We're just going to come right out and say it: No one plays Batman like Christian Bale. Watch as he figures out a way to clean up Gotham City and serve up some justice in a very Bruce Wayne way.
The Prestige (2006)
You don't really know what competition feels like until you're a magician trying to outwit every other talented person in the game. In London, during the 19th century, Alfred and Rupert have proven to be the best of the best. But when one of them pulls off a trick never seen before, the other will stop at nothing to learn his secrets.
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight is arguably the most iconic Batman movie there is. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) now must battle a villain that has proven to be the most dangerous one yet: The Joker (Heath Ledger).
Inception (2010)
If you pride yourself on being able to figure out complex storylines (or just love being confused), then Inception is the movie for you. Leonardo DiCaprio takes the lead as a corporate spy who has somehow mastered the art of infiltrating the mind of others (yes, you read that right), and is able to steal secrets that way. This time around, he's asked to do something that has never been done before: plant an idea in someone's head.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Thank you, Christopher Nolan, for not only giving us the best Batman, but also the best Catwoman (Anne Hathaway). Obviously that's *our* opinion, but it's not everyday that you experience a villain-turned-good within the same movie. Plus, she's a prime reason why Batman was able to outsmart the ultimate enemy in the end.
Interstellar (2014)
Matthew McConaughey stars as a former pilot living a simple life in Colorado with his family. Everything about his day-to-day changes when he's approached by NASA, informing him that Earth may meet its doom. Now, it's up McConaughey's character to head on up to space to see just which planet can become the "new home" to humans, which in turn forces him to leave his family behind. (Anyone who saw this in theaters in 2014 was left feeling out of this world!)
Dunkirk (2017)
Dunkirk tells the emotional (and quite riveting story) of the hundreds of thousands of French, British, Belgian and Dutch soldiers in World War II, and how they were able to evacuate after being trapped on a beach for days on end. There's no way you leave this one not feeling some sense of heroism.
Tenet (2020)
In true Christopher Nolan fashion, the concept of time is played with in Tenet. It follows a man who uses his time-manipulating abilities as a means to prevent the world from experiencing a tragic event. This one is a real nail-biter by the end!
Oppenheimer (2023)
Being the "father of the atomic bomb" has proven to be a title with lots of baggage for Julius Robert Oppenheimer. Cillian Murphy helps tell the story of the process of making such a thing, and more or less what really went down behind the scenes.
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