Nolan's next movie, Oppenheimer, releases in July.
The Best Christopher Nolan Movies, Ranked By Metacritic Score
Veteran movie writer and director Christopher Nolan is back on the scene with his next film, Oppenheimer, this July. The World War II-era drama tells the story of the creation of the atomic bomb and the man behind the project, J. Robert Oppenheimer.
With Nolan's next movie, his first since 2020's Tenet, releasing pretty soon, we're looking back at the director's past films. Here in this gallery, we are ranking Nolan's 11 major movies, dating back to Nolan's debut feature, 1998's Following, and spanning his career that has included a Batman trilogy, a magician movie called The Prestige, and the mind-bending action film Inception, among others.
The list is ranked by critic scores on GameSpot sister site Metacritic. Of course, these are only critic scores, and as usual, audience scores can vary. Everyone's taste is different. But these are Metacritic's aggregate scores for Nolan's 11 theatrical films over the past 30+ years.
As for Oppenheimer, the movie hits theaters on July 21. It stars Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer himself, with a supporting cast that includes Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Jack Quaid, Josh Hartnett, Rami Malek, Gary Oldman, and Kenneth Branagh.
11. Following (1998) – 60
Produced on a reported budget of just $6,000, 1998's Following was Christopher Nolan's feature film debut, and also his lowest-rated movie in terms of Metacritic score at 60. A crime-thriller, Following documents a young writer, played by Jeremy Theobald, who… follows people around London in an attempt to find inspiration for his writing. That's not what happens, though, and the man finds himself in London's criminal underbelly.
10. The Prestige (2006) – 66
2006's The Prestige stars Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as rival magicians in Victorian-era London. The magicians go back and forth and try to one-up each other, culminating in a showdown over a levitation trick. Like many of Nolan's films, it would be saying too much to discuss the movie more because of its twists and turns. But this one is fondly remembered by many, despite its relatively low professional score. It even has an appearance by David Bowie as Nikola Tesla!
9. Tenet (2020) – 69
The COVID pandemic had a major impact on how movies were released, with many studios opting to launch their films day-and-date on streaming services. Nolan, a staunch supporter of the theatrical model, apparently had enough influence to convince the higher-ups at Warner Bros. to release Tenet in theaters. Unfortunately for Nolan, the movie--which stars John David Washington, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh, and Robert Pattinson--didn't get great reviews. It tells the story of a group that can manipulate time in strange and puzzling ways. Nolan criticized HBO Max, calling it the "worst streaming service." This would be Nolan's last film with Warner Bros., before shifting to Universal for Oppenheimer.
8. Batman Begins (2005) – 70
Nolan entered a new stratosphere with 2005's Batman Begins, his first superhero movie. The film stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, with an all-star supporting cast that included Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman. The origin story tells the tale of how Bruce Wayne became Batman, and though it didn't get the highest reviews of Nolan's career, it's regarded as a solid start to what would become a giant trilogy.
7. Inception (2010) – 74
Inception, released in 2010, is a movie about dreams. The unique concept involves agents who infiltrate their targets' subconscious to get information and plant ideas. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Elliot Page, with a supporting cast that includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Michael Caine, and Ken Watanabe. It is fondly remembered for its striking visuals and thought-provoking story. It ends in typical Nolan fashion with the memorable spinning top scene that had viewers question if what they just watched was real or a dream, or if that distinction even matters.
6. Interstellar (2014) – 74
A sci-fi epic set in the future, Interstellar stars Matthew McConaughey as an astronaut sent into a wormhole to try to save humanity. The problem, for McConaughey's character, is that each trip deep into space takes no time at all for him but spans decades for people back on Earth, which includes his loved ones. This complicates things with his beloved daughter, and McConaughey is forced to face a number of harsh choices. The movie also stars Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain, and it's a real tear-jerker and mind-bender when it all wraps up.
5. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) – 78
Nolan's Batman trilogy-capper, The Dark Knight Rises, released in 2012 and is fondly remembered. The film brought about the end to Nolan's series in good form. Nolan was said to have been hesitant about coming back for a third, but he and co-writer David Goyer eventually found a story that inspired Nolan to finish things off. The big new addition for The Dark Knight Rises is the arrival of the villain Bane, played by Tom Hardy. Anne Hathaway also stars as Selina Kyle AKA Catwoman in this film, which earned more than $1 billion worldwide.
4. Insomnia (2002) – 78
One of Nolan's lesser-known films, 2002's Insomnia was actually the director's first major studio movie and it ranks highly on Metacritic with a score of 78. The movie, which is a remake of a Norwegian film of the same name, tells the story of a crooked Los Angeles police detective, played by Al Pacino, put on assignment in Alaska to solve a murder. He's facing his own demons and all-day daylight in this eerie and memorable movie. The film also stars Hilary Swank, Martin Donovan, and Robin Williams.
3. Memento (2000) – 81
2000's Memento is a wild psychological thriller starring Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano. Pearce plays a man suffering from anterograde amnesia, and must piece together clues from his past to find the person who killed his wife. Some remarked that the film was difficult to follow due to its non-linear storytelling–and that might have been an intentional device from Nolan–but in any event, it is a great movie and one of Nolan's best.
The Dark Knight (2008) – 84
Nolan's second Batman movie, The Dark Knight, might be his most famous. The 2008 film brought on Heath Ledger to play The Joker in what continues to be among the best villain performances of all time. Christian Bale's Batman and Ledger's Joker go toe-to-toe in this exciting action movie that also stars Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two-Face. Among other things, The Dark Knight is remembered for its pulse-pounding opening heist sequence.
Dunkirk (2017) – 94
Nolan's highest-rated movie, by far, is 2017's Dunkirk, boasting an aggregate score of 94 on Metacritic. The movie tells the miraculous real-life story of the World War II evacuation of soldiers at Dunkirk in World War II. Filmed in Dunkirk itself, the film is known and celebrated for its use of practical effects and stunning cinematography. The movie stars Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles, Barry Keoghan, Kenneth Branagh, and Mark Rylance.
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