The best Christopher Nolan movies, ranked (including Oppenheimer)

8. Inception

Ah, Inception. Where trippy sci-fi elements meet a story of corporate espionage. What could be confusing about that? The popular heist movie was both a critical and box office success when it premiered in 2010, introducing us to a complex and innovative storyline like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Inception stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Dom Cobb, a con man who uncovers secrets through people’s dreams.

Like every entry on this list, the cast of Inception is awesome. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Marion Cotillard, and others star alongside DiCaprio in the head-scratching movie. That’s definitely a high point. Along with the cast, the storytelling is incredibly fresh and original, making for a unique viewing experience and one you really need to pay attention to in order to understand. The visual effects are, unsurprisingly, awesome. As someone who prefers ambiguity in films, I love the ending.

Unlike many other heist movies, Inception features emotional moments, mostly regarding the loss of Cobb’s wife, though I wish it went a little deeper. This is definitely a well-made movie, but it fails to make me feel as deeply as others on the list. As a viewer, I tend to get caught up in trying to solve the sometimes-overwhelming puzzle the movie presents rather than relating to it.