Intro: Christopher Nolan Movies Ranked
Over the last twenty five years, Christopher Nolan has been making films, from small-budget cult favorites to big-budget superhero flicks. Nolan's range is hard to match in Hollywood. After the release of his latest film Oppenheimer, I decided to look at Nolan's filmography and rank his movies.
Nolan's filmography is fascinating because you have a director willing to take risks. It's not easy stepping into the world of comic book films, but not only did Nolan do it, he knocked it out of the ballpark. Nolan's risk-taking continued further by spearheading blockbusters like Dunkirk, Inception, Interstellar, and Tenet. Of course, the latter two films are movies that are either loved or hated.
Before we begin, I want to mention that I have yet to see Christopher Nolan's first film Following, so it is not in my rankings.
11. Batman Begins
Let me say this, Batman Begins is a very good movie, but it speaks volumes to Nolan's filmography as a whole when this is the lowest-ranked movie on the list. This laid the groundwork for one of the greatest (probably the greatest) trilogy in the world of comic book adaptations.
10. The Prestige
This marks the first film on the list that I struggled with where to put it. This was a movie that Nolan did in between his time in the Batman movies. While it's good, I believe this is one of the more overrated films of his filmography.
9. The Dark Knight
I don't doubt that this will get me plenty of hate for having this film this low on my rankings and even more so because of where I have the final film in this trilogy. However, this film didn't age well, and that's why it is so low on this list.
Heath Ledger is brilliant as the Joker, and Aaron Eckhart doesn't get enough credit for his Harvey Dent/Two Face performance. There are several incredible scenes, but this film has plenty of lulls throughout.
8. Interstellar
Interstellar is a film that is either ranked near the bottom of people's Nolan rankings or at the top, and I am somewhere in between on the film. While I like its elements, I think the film drags a little too much to reach that top section of my list.
Although, I will say that the emotional aspects of the film were far greater than the other space movie of 2013, Gravity.
7. Insomnia
Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, did unhinged quite like Robin Williams. Pacino, Swank, and Williams, Insomnia is simply one of the best thrillers we've seen in the 20th century.
6. Memento
This was Christopher Nolan's first mainstream film, leading to his first-ever Oscar Nomination for Best Screenplay. Guy Pearce is incredible, the script is tight, and the film is just shot to perfection. It's one of my favorite movies to revisit in his filmography.
5. Dunkirk
I am not sure there was a film that moved in my rankings more than Dunkirk. I found myself so conflicted I felt the need to turn it on and give it another go. Christopher Nolan is easily one of the best filmmakers of this generation and shot one hell of a war movie.
4. Tenet
Christopher Nolan's attempt to save cinema amid the pandemic with his twisty and turny ride called Tenet was met with some up-and-down critical reactions. Personally, the film was a home run because you had two lead performances from Robert Pattinson and John David Washington (Tenet's a love story if you ask my friend Kenzie Vanunu) that held together this wild ride.
On top of that, Ludwig Göransson was robbed of winning Best Original Score at the Oscars as the score is one of the best I've ever heard in a cinema.
3. The Dark Knight Rises
Let me go ahead and stir the pot in my rankings more than I already have by saying that Tom Hardy as Bane is equally as good as Heath Ledger as the Joker. While they are two different characters, Hardy's physical appearance and the intimidating factors of watching Bane beat down Batman were nothing short of brilliant.
It was the perfect way to end this fantastic trilogy. It's the best Batman film we've ever seen hit theaters.
2. Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer isn't number one on this list because I have only seen the film once. In maybe 2-3 years, when I revisit it and am able to get the same feelings I got from the first time I watched it, I could see it moving past Inception.Â
Oppenheimer is a master class of storytelling, acting, and technical feats that are a reminder of the power of cinema.
Check out our review of Oppenheimer here!
1. Inception
Inception is not only Nolan's best film but its one of the best-directed films of the twentieth century. Every single time I watch this film, I am impressed with the different layers of it. Inception is a masterpiece, from the editing to the direction to the acting to the mind-blowing script that keeps you on your toes.
