The best Christopher Nolan movies, ranked (including Oppenheimer)

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BEVERLY HILLS, CA – FEBRUARY 5: Director Christopher Nolan attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards Nominee Luncheon at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 5, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Dan MacMedan/Getty Images) /

The best Christopher Nolan movies to watch

Five-time Academy Award nominee Christopher Nolan has been thrilling moviegoers for decades now, helming some of the best and most talked-about films of the 21st century. Of course, that includes the greatest superhero movie to date, The Dark Knight, along with twisty, mind-bending stories such as Inception and Tenet. It’s not surprising that many call Nolan their favorite director working today.

Nolan has worked with numerous big-name stars throughout his career, including Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Leonardo DiCaprio, Scarlett Johansson, Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Hugh Jackman, and many more. The undeniable talent in the cast of every Nolan movie is something fans have come to expect, and that’s not an exception with his new movie, Oppenheimer.

Oppenheimer, which hit theaters on July 21, follows real-life physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer as he develops the atomic bomb. Cillian Murphy stars as the titular character, with an impressive supporting cast including Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, and others.

Known for larger-than-life cinematography, complex narratives, and practical effects, there’s no mistaking a Christopher Nolan movie when you see one.

Christopher Nolan movies in order

Following (1998)
Memento (2000)
Insomnia (2002)
Batman Begins (2005)
The Prestige (2006)
The Dark Knight (2008)
Inception (2010)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Interstellar (2014)
Dunkirk (2017)
Tenet (2020)
Oppenheimer (2023)

Oppenheimer has already proved to be a critical and commercial success, which is awesome, especially after Nolan’s last film, Tenet, kind of disappointed audiences. Though the director is certainly well-regarded, that doesn’t mean every movie he’s made is perfect.

Now that Oppenheimer is out in theaters, we’re highlighting Nolan’s nine best movies and ranking them by quality. Flip the page to check out our list!

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