It didn’t feel as though Rebel Ridge had a ton of buzz leading up to its premiere on Netflix, but Jeremy Saulnier’s action thriller is making up for that in a big way. For the second week in a row, Rebel Ridge is dominating Netflix’s Top 10 list, with 38.6 million views. Its closest competitor, the sci-fi movie Uglies, is lagging behind with 20.8 million views
Rebel Ridge stars Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond, a former Marine who “enters the town of Shelby Springs on a simple but urgent mission– post bail for his cousin and save him from imminent danger. But when Terry’s life’s savings is unjustly seized by law-enforcement, he’s forced to go head to head with local police chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson) and his combat-ready officers. Terry finds an unlikely ally in court clerk Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb) and the two become ensnared in a deep-rooted conspiracy within the remote township. As the stakes turn deadly, Terry must call upon his mysterious background to break the department’s hold on the community, bring justice to his own family– and protect Summer in the process.“
It’s been seven years since Saulnier’s last film (Hold the Dark), so it’s a treat to have him back with another great movie. Rebel Ridge had its struggles, as John Boyega was originally set to lead the film. After several weeks of production, the Star Wars actor dropped out due to “family reasons.” Nearly a year later, production finally resumed, with Pierre now taking on the leading role.
Our own Chris Bumbray had a blast with the film, saying that it’s “Saulnier’s most conventional and accessible film to date” as well as “one of the most entertaining films Netflix has made in some time.” Bumbray continued, “But what makes Rebel Ridge such a must-watch movie are the action sequences, which are shot in a lean, mean, and realistic way. You see, in the film, Terry is a former close combat instructor, and those are the tactics he uses to take on his opponents, with Pierre thrillingly adept in the well-staged martial arts sequences. This kind of action role makes a guy like him a star, and one has to imagine that the suits at Marvel and DC will be keeping an eye on him.” Rebel Ridge is currently streaming on Netflix, and you can check out the rest of Bumbray’s review right here!
While speaking on the Origins with Cush Jumbo podcast (thanks to IndieWire), Schwimmer reflected on turning down Men in Black and explained why he made the choice he did. The actor was in the midst of starring in Friends at the time, but he would have been able to fit in Men in Black during his summer hiatus. Instead, he chose to honour his commitment to what would become his feature directorial debut.
“[It] was a brutal decision. I had just finished filming ‘The Pallbearer,’ my first film with Gwyneth Paltrow, and there were high expectations of that which didn’t come true. It was kind of a bomb but there were high expectations and the studio which was Miramax wanted to lock me into a three-picture deal at a fixed price and I said I would do that if I got to direct my first movie,” Schwimmer explained. “So after months of negotiations, they finally said that I would act in three more movies for them but I got to direct my entire theatre company in the first film. All these unknown actors but I was going to put them on the map, basically. I was going to let everyone discover the talent of this amazing company.“
Schwimmer continued, “We found this amazing script and we were developing it. We started pre-production. All my best friends in the world in my theatre company quit their jobs so they could be in this film over the summer, which was going to be a six-week shoot in Chicago. We’re in pre-production, hired the whole crew, everything’s going and that’s when I was offered ‘Men in Black.’ It was a direct conflict with this. My summer window from ‘Friends’ was four months. I had a four-month hiatus and ‘Men in Black’ was going to shoot exactly when I was going to direct this film with my company. And of course, it was an amazing opportunity. […] However, my theatre company and that relationship with all those people would probably have ended.“
The project in question was Since You’ve Been Gone, a dark comedy about a 10-year class reunion. The film was supposed to have been released theatrically, but was instead dropped on ABC as a made-for-television movie. All these years later, Schwimmer wonders whether Men in Black would have made him a movie star. “If you look at the success of that film and that franchise, my career would have taken a very different trajectory,” he said.
Would Men in Black have worked as well with David Schwimmer as Agent J?
Deadline reports that Jennifer Lopez is set to continue her relationship with Netflix with Office Romance, a romantic comedy that will also star Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso). Lopez previously starred in The Mother and Atlas for the streaming service.
Although plot details for Office Romance are being kept under wraps, but the project was the subject of a heated bidding war before Netflix came out on stop. In addition to co-starring alongside Lopez, Goldstein will also co-write the script with Joe Kelly. Deadline’s report states that there are “several great character actor roles” in the movie.
In The Mother, Lopez is a “deadly female assassin comes out of hiding to protect the daughter that she gave up years before, while on the run from dangerous men.” The actress went sci-fi with Altas, in which she starred as “a brilliant but misanthropic data analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence, joins a mission to capture a renegade robot with whom she shares a mysterious past. But when plans go awry, her only hope of saving the future of humanity from AI is to trust it.“
Lopez will next be seen in Unstoppable, an inspiring true story starring Jharrel Jerome as Anthony Robles, a young man who rises to become an NCAA Division 1 Champion wrestler despite being born without a right leg. He ultimately wins a national championship against the school that rejected him. Based on Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion by Anthony Robles and Austin Murphy, the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month. The film will be released on December 6th by Amazon MGM Studios in a limited theatrical release.
Lopez hasn’t had the best year. In addition to filing for divorce from Ben Affleck, Lopez was also forced to cancel her This Is Me… Live Tour. “I am completely heartsick and devastated about letting you down,” Lopez said in a statement. “Please know that I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t feel that it was absolutely necessary. I promise I will make it up to you and we will all be together again. I love you all so much. Until next time…“
Deadline reports that Jennifer Lopez is set to continue her relationship with Netflix with Office Romance, a romantic comedy that will also star Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso). Lopez previously starred in The Mother and Atlas for the streaming service.
Although plot details for Office Romance are being kept under wraps, but the project was the subject of a heated bidding war before Netflix came out on stop. In addition to co-starring alongside Lopez, Goldstein will also co-write the script with Joe Kelly. Deadline’s report states that there are “several great character actor roles” in the movie.
In The Mother, Lopez is a “deadly female assassin comes out of hiding to protect the daughter that she gave up years before, while on the run from dangerous men.” The actress went sci-fi with Altas, in which she starred as “a brilliant but misanthropic data analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence, joins a mission to capture a renegade robot with whom she shares a mysterious past. But when plans go awry, her only hope of saving the future of humanity from AI is to trust it.“
Lopez will next be seen in Unstoppable, an inspiring true story starring Jharrel Jerome as Anthony Robles, a young man who rises to become an NCAA Division 1 Champion wrestler despite being born without a right leg. He ultimately wins a national championship against the school that rejected him. Based on Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion by Anthony Robles and Austin Murphy, the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month. The film will be released on December 6th by Amazon MGM Studios in a limited theatrical release.
Lopez hasn’t had the best year. In addition to filing for divorce from Ben Affleck, Lopez was also forced to cancel her This Is Me… Live Tour. “I am completely heartsick and devastated about letting you down,” Lopez said in a statement. “Please know that I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t feel that it was absolutely necessary. I promise I will make it up to you and we will all be together again. I love you all so much. Until next time…“
Gary Oldman played Sirius Black in the Harry Potter franchise, but he recently told IndieWire that he didn’t appear in the movies enough.
“I love, Sirius,” Oldman said. “He wasn’t in it enough. He turned up and then he went through the veil.” After Oldman’s first appearance in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, he made a cameo in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and showed up in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, where he was killed off. He made another cameo in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, but all in all, not a lot of screen time for the Academy Award-winning actor.
With the upcoming Harry Potter TV series, there’s room for more Sirius Black, and while Oldman isn’t expecting to reprise the role, he would be open to another. “I would bet my money that they will get a whole new cast of people,” Oldman said. “Maybe in a few years, I could do Dumbledore.“
[SEEMORE
Although Oldman would have liked more screen time in the movies, he has also been very critical of his performance in them. “I think my work is mediocre in it,” Oldman said last year. “No, I do. Maybe if I had read the books like Alan, if I had got ahead of the curve, if I had known what’s coming, I honestly think I would have played it differently. I’ll tell you what it is. It’s like anything if I sat and watched myself in something and said, ‘My god, I’m amazing,’ that would be a very sad day because you want to make the next thing better.“
He later clarified his remarks, saying they weren’t meant to disparage any Harry Potter fans, it’s just that he’s always hypercritical of his own work. He added that had he known the entirety of Sirius’ arc, he might have approached the character differently. “There was such secrecy that was shrouded around the novels, they were under lock and key. And had I known from the very beginning, if I had read the five books and I had seen the arc of the character, I might have approached it differently. I may have looked at it differently and painted in a different color,” Oldman said. “So when I started Harry Potter, all I had was the book, The Prisoner of Azkaban, and that one representation of that man. One book in the library of Sirius Black. And that’s kind of what I meant by it. It’s not me looking at the movie and saying it’s a terrible film or I’m terrible, I just wish it had been under different circumstances. That’s what I meant, not to be rude to any of the people out there who like that film.“
Would you have liked to have seen more of Gary Oldman as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter movie?
Gary Oldman played Sirius Black in the Harry Potter franchise, but he recently told IndieWire that he didn’t appear in the movies enough.
“I love, Sirius,” Oldman said. “He wasn’t in it enough. He turned up and then he went through the veil.” After Oldman’s first appearance in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, he made a cameo in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and showed up in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, where he was killed off. He made another cameo in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, but all in all, not a lot of screen time for the Academy Award-winning actor.
With the upcoming Harry Potter TV series, there’s room for more Sirius Black, and while Oldman isn’t expecting to reprise the role, he would be open to another. “I would bet my money that they will get a whole new cast of people,” Oldman said. “Maybe in a few years, I could do Dumbledore.“
[SEEMORE
Although Oldman would have liked more screen time in the movies, he has also been very critical of his performance in them. “I think my work is mediocre in it,” Oldman said last year. “No, I do. Maybe if I had read the books like Alan, if I had got ahead of the curve, if I had known what’s coming, I honestly think I would have played it differently. I’ll tell you what it is. It’s like anything if I sat and watched myself in something and said, ‘My god, I’m amazing,’ that would be a very sad day because you want to make the next thing better.“
He later clarified his remarks, saying they weren’t meant to disparage any Harry Potter fans, it’s just that he’s always hypercritical of his own work. He added that had he known the entirety of Sirius’ arc, he might have approached the character differently. “There was such secrecy that was shrouded around the novels, they were under lock and key. And had I known from the very beginning, if I had read the five books and I had seen the arc of the character, I might have approached it differently. I may have looked at it differently and painted in a different color,” Oldman said. “So when I started Harry Potter, all I had was the book, The Prisoner of Azkaban, and that one representation of that man. One book in the library of Sirius Black. And that’s kind of what I meant by it. It’s not me looking at the movie and saying it’s a terrible film or I’m terrible, I just wish it had been under different circumstances. That’s what I meant, not to be rude to any of the people out there who like that film.“
Would you have liked to have seen more of Gary Oldman as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter movie?
Baz Luhrmann is set to tackle the story of Joan of Arc as his next project. Titled Jehanne d’Arc, the film will tell the epic tale of Joan of Arc, a teenager who claimed to be acting under divine guidance as she helped lead France to victory during the siege of Orléans. She stood by Charles VII during his coronation of the King of France but was later captured and handed over to the English. They put her on trial for heresy, and she was ultimately burned at the stake at the young age of nineteen.
Deadline reports that Luhrmann is in the midst of his creative process now, with a casting breakdown set to go out today. The project is looking for a young woman to star in “The ultimate teenage girl coming of age story, set in the Hundred Years’ War.” There have been plenty of adaptations of Joan of Arc’s story going back over 100 years, but Luhrmann is sure to add his distinctive visual flair to the project, which could make this something to behold. Some of the more notable adaptations include Victor Fleming’s 1948 movie starring Ingrid Bergman and Luc Besson’s 1999 movie starring Milla Jovovich.
Luhrmann was previously attached to develop the English-language adaptation of the Russian novel The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. The story finds the Devil and his entourage visiting the Soviet Union and includes elements of religion, satire, comedy, and the supernatural. Luhrmann stepped away from the project earlier this year, reportedly due to concerns over the book rights.
Fans have been eager for Luhrmann’s next project, particularly after the success of Elvis. The 2022 musical biopic starred Austin Butler as the King of Rock n’ Roll and was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor. He also released Faraway Downs on Hulu and Disney+ last year, a six-episode mini-series which was an extended version of Australia, the 2008 movie starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. “I was inspired to re-approach my film Australia to create Faraway Downs because of the way episodic storytelling has been reinvigorated by the streaming world,” Luhrmann said. “With over 2 million feet of film from the original piece, my team and I were able to revisit anew the central themes of the work. I am honored to world premiere Faraway Downs in Australia, the place that has inspired me and my work my entire life, and with a partner like SXSW who deeply recognizes the intersection of film, television and music with storytelling.“
Baz Luhrmann is set to tackle the story of Joan of Arc as his next project. Titled Jehanne d’Arc, the film will tell the epic tale of Joan of Arc, a teenager who claimed to be acting under divine guidance as she helped lead France to victory during the siege of Orléans. She stood by Charles VII during his coronation of the King of France but was later captured and handed over to the English. They put her on trial for heresy, and she was ultimately burned at the stake at the young age of nineteen.
Deadline reports that Luhrmann is in the midst of his creative process now, with a casting breakdown set to go out today. The project is looking for a young woman to star in “The ultimate teenage girl coming of age story, set in the Hundred Years’ War.” There have been plenty of adaptations of Joan of Arc’s story going back over 100 years, but Luhrmann is sure to add his distinctive visual flair to the project, which could make this something to behold. Some of the more notable adaptations include Victor Fleming’s 1948 movie starring Ingrid Bergman and Luc Besson’s 1999 movie starring Milla Jovovich.
Luhrmann was previously attached to develop the English-language adaptation of the Russian novel The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. The story finds the Devil and his entourage visiting the Soviet Union and includes elements of religion, satire, comedy, and the supernatural. Luhrmann stepped away from the project earlier this year, reportedly due to concerns over the book rights.
Fans have been eager for Luhrmann’s next project, particularly after the success of Elvis. The 2022 musical biopic starred Austin Butler as the King of Rock n’ Roll and was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor. He also released Faraway Downs on Hulu and Disney+ last year, a six-episode mini-series which was an extended version of Australia, the 2008 movie starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. “I was inspired to re-approach my film Australia to create Faraway Downs because of the way episodic storytelling has been reinvigorated by the streaming world,” Luhrmann said. “With over 2 million feet of film from the original piece, my team and I were able to revisit anew the central themes of the work. I am honored to world premiere Faraway Downs in Australia, the place that has inspired me and my work my entire life, and with a partner like SXSW who deeply recognizes the intersection of film, television and music with storytelling.“
It’s time to look at the work of one of the greatest directors of our generation: Christopher Nolan. A caveat – our Christopher Nolan movies ranked list is just one person’s opinion, and his work is divisive. Everyone has their favourites (and least favourites), so I’m hoping this ranking will open up some discussion in the comments below. We do not include Following in this list, as it’s only 69 minutes and can’t be put on the same level as his other work – although it’s an interesting black and white curio. Also, note that this list ranks all of his movies from worst to best, so if you don’t see your favourite film of his right off the top, don’t panic!
Insomnia (2002)
In my mind, Christopher Nolan has never made a bad movie. So, when I say one of his movies is his “worst,” that doesn’t mean it’s actually bad. Insomnia is based on a tremendous Norwegian film that stars Stellan Skarsgård in the lead, and I think his performance is slightly better than Al Pacino’s here. That said, Robin Williams gives a genuinely unnerving performance as the movie’s antagonist, and it also has gorgeous cinematography by Wally Pfister. It’s just that – at least compared to other films on this list – it’s the one that feels the most like an assignment.
Interstellar (2014)
One of Nolan’s most ambitious efforts, Interstellar is brilliant at times and annoyingly conventional at others. For me, the movie works wonderfully when Nolan is attempting to make his variation on 2001: A Space Odyssey. But I’ve never liked the side plot where Matt Damon is found marooned and becomes an antagonist. A movie like this doesn’t need a “bad guy.” However, Matthew McConaughey is terrific in the lead, and the cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema is a revelation.
Tenet (2020)
I found this movie utterly incomprehensible when I saw it in theatres, due mainly to the atrocious sound mix. Throughout his career, Nolan has taken a lot of heat for not having clear dialogue, and he went overboard with the mixing here, as it obscured an already tough-to-decipher plot. It made me quite angry when I saw it the first time, but I enjoyed the movie more when watching it at home – with subtitles. Like all of his films, it’s visually arresting, and the score by Ludwig Göransson is a winner. Nolan has always been inspired by the James Bond franchise, and his two heroes in this one, John David Washington and Robert Pattinson, are likely the closest we’ll ever get to seeing how Nolan would tackle that series (although then again – who knows?). Also worth noting, Nolan must have taken the audio criticism to heart because all of the dialogue in Oppenheimer is clear as a bell.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
I enjoyed Nolan’s divisive end to his Dark Knight trilogy, even if it couldn’t help but pale compared to its predecessors. Tom Hardy’s Bane is a bit of a letdown as a villain, at least compared to Heath Ledger’s Joker, but I still think it serves as a satisfying end to the franchise, with Bruce Wayne earning the retirement he’s spending with Anne Hathaway’s Selina Kyle. It’s also the first movie where Nolan’s sound mixes became problematic, and I’ll never forget how hard it was to figure out what Bane was saying the first time I saw the opening action sequence when it was attached as a teaser to IMAX showings of Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
Memento (2000)
I know this will be a controversial place for the movie that put Nolan on the map. Structurally, it’s brilliant; I just personally don’t think it holds up to repeated viewings as much as other movies on this list. Even still, it’s pretty audacious filmmaking, and one can see that this immediately made him a superstar director.
The Prestige (2006)
This one has always been the most underrated movie in Nolan’s filmography, as Disney’s Touchstone didn’t position it as the event it would have been had it come out just a few years later. Hugh Jackman gives the performance of his life as one of two duelling illusionists who have a rivalry over a teleportation trick that leads to devastating moral consequences for both men. This is one of Nolan’s movies that gets better every time you watch it, with Christian Bale’s performance a bit of a puzzle that only really comes together on its second viewing. This also has one of my favourite bits of Nolan casting ever – David Bowie as Tesla.
Batman Begins (2005)
Nolan started to reinvent the superhero saga with this, and I remember, when I first saw it, thinking it had more in common with epic adventure movies like The Last Samurai or Gladiator than anything else I’d seen. To me, it paid off, and Christian Bale makes for an iconic Caped Crusader (and a great Bruce Wayne), while Michael Caine will always be my favourite Alfred.
Dunkirk (2017)
This one seems divisive, as some think Nolan’s WW2 movie is too thinly plotted. To me, they’re missing the point, as this is supposed to be a raw experience that puts you in the shoes of the various soldiers participating in the evacuation of Dunkirk. It’s his shortest movie since Following, and it can’t be beaten on a technical level. Tom Hardy has one of his best roles as a heroic RAF fighter pilot, acting almost completely with his eyes until the final shot.
Oppenheimer (2023)
When it was announced that this would be a three-hour biopic of Robert Oppenheimer, people cracked wise on Twitter that it would just be three hours of men talking in rooms. And you know what – it is. But Nolan knows precisely how to make a movie like this, and it’s one of the tightest, most explosive three-hour dramas you’re ever likely to see. This is genuinely epic filmmaking and a masterpiece on every level, featuring perhaps Nolan’s best-ever cast. Cillian Murphy is brilliant as a man who shaped the modern world, for better or worse, while Robert Downey Jr gives his best performance since Iron Man in a critical supporting role.
Inception (2010)
What else can be said about one of our generation’s best science fiction movies? It’s the movie that proved a dazzling action movie can be just as challenging as an indie and still make hundreds of millions of dollars. It also boasts one of my favourite musical scores of all time, with Hans Zimmer’s work career-defining.
The Dark Knight (2008)
But, as good as Inception is, to me, Nolan’s masterpiece will always be The Dark Knight. It’s still the best superhero movie ever made, and I firmly believe it belongs in any serious conversation about the best movies ever made. It’s thematically rich and features one of the most outstanding modern performances, Heath Ledger’s Joker. Sixteen years later, it’s still the tentpole movie every would-be blockbuster wants to be.
It’s time to look at the work of one of the greatest directors of our generation: Christopher Nolan. A caveat – our Christopher Nolan movies ranked list is just one person’s opinion, and his work is divisive. Everyone has their favourites (and least favourites), so I’m hoping this ranking will open up some discussion in the comments below. We do not include Following in this list, as it’s only 69 minutes and can’t be put on the same level as his other work – although it’s an interesting black and white curio. Also, note that this list ranks all of his movies from worst to best, so if you don’t see your favourite film of his right off the top, don’t panic!
Insomnia (2002)
In my mind, Christopher Nolan has never made a bad movie. So, when I say one of his movies is his “worst,” that doesn’t mean it’s actually bad. Insomnia is based on a tremendous Norwegian film that stars Stellan Skarsgård in the lead, and I think his performance is slightly better than Al Pacino’s here. That said, Robin Williams gives a genuinely unnerving performance as the movie’s antagonist, and it also has gorgeous cinematography by Wally Pfister. It’s just that – at least compared to other films on this list – it’s the one that feels the most like an assignment.
Interstellar (2014)
One of Nolan’s most ambitious efforts, Interstellar is brilliant at times and annoyingly conventional at others. For me, the movie works wonderfully when Nolan is attempting to make his variation on 2001: A Space Odyssey. But I’ve never liked the side plot where Matt Damon is found marooned and becomes an antagonist. A movie like this doesn’t need a “bad guy.” However, Matthew McConaughey is terrific in the lead, and the cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema is a revelation.
Tenet (2020)
I found this movie utterly incomprehensible when I saw it in theatres, due mainly to the atrocious sound mix. Throughout his career, Nolan has taken a lot of heat for not having clear dialogue, and he went overboard with the mixing here, as it obscured an already tough-to-decipher plot. It made me quite angry when I saw it the first time, but I enjoyed the movie more when watching it at home – with subtitles. Like all of his films, it’s visually arresting, and the score by Ludwig Göransson is a winner. Nolan has always been inspired by the James Bond franchise, and his two heroes in this one, John David Washington and Robert Pattinson, are likely the closest we’ll ever get to seeing how Nolan would tackle that series (although then again – who knows?). Also worth noting, Nolan must have taken the audio criticism to heart because all of the dialogue in Oppenheimer is clear as a bell.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
I enjoyed Nolan’s divisive end to his Dark Knight trilogy, even if it couldn’t help but pale compared to its predecessors. Tom Hardy’s Bane is a bit of a letdown as a villain, at least compared to Heath Ledger’s Joker, but I still think it serves as a satisfying end to the franchise, with Bruce Wayne earning the retirement he’s spending with Anne Hathaway’s Selina Kyle. It’s also the first movie where Nolan’s sound mixes became problematic, and I’ll never forget how hard it was to figure out what Bane was saying the first time I saw the opening action sequence when it was attached as a teaser to IMAX showings of Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
Memento (2000)
I know this will be a controversial place for the movie that put Nolan on the map. Structurally, it’s brilliant; I just personally don’t think it holds up to repeated viewings as much as other movies on this list. Even still, it’s pretty audacious filmmaking, and one can see that this immediately made him a superstar director.
The Prestige (2006)
This one has always been the most underrated movie in Nolan’s filmography, as Disney’s Touchstone didn’t position it as the event it would have been had it come out just a few years later. Hugh Jackman gives the performance of his life as one of two duelling illusionists who have a rivalry over a teleportation trick that leads to devastating moral consequences for both men. This is one of Nolan’s movies that gets better every time you watch it, with Christian Bale’s performance a bit of a puzzle that only really comes together on its second viewing. This also has one of my favourite bits of Nolan casting ever – David Bowie as Tesla.
Batman Begins (2005)
Nolan started to reinvent the superhero saga with this, and I remember, when I first saw it, thinking it had more in common with epic adventure movies like The Last Samurai or Gladiator than anything else I’d seen. To me, it paid off, and Christian Bale makes for an iconic Caped Crusader (and a great Bruce Wayne), while Michael Caine will always be my favourite Alfred.
Dunkirk (2017)
This one seems divisive, as some think Nolan’s WW2 movie is too thinly plotted. To me, they’re missing the point, as this is supposed to be a raw experience that puts you in the shoes of the various soldiers participating in the evacuation of Dunkirk. It’s his shortest movie since Following, and it can’t be beaten on a technical level. Tom Hardy has one of his best roles as a heroic RAF fighter pilot, acting almost completely with his eyes until the final shot.
Oppenheimer (2023)
When it was announced that this would be a three-hour biopic of Robert Oppenheimer, people cracked wise on Twitter that it would just be three hours of men talking in rooms. And you know what – it is. But Nolan knows precisely how to make a movie like this, and it’s one of the tightest, most explosive three-hour dramas you’re ever likely to see. This is genuinely epic filmmaking and a masterpiece on every level, featuring perhaps Nolan’s best-ever cast. Cillian Murphy is brilliant as a man who shaped the modern world, for better or worse, while Robert Downey Jr gives his best performance since Iron Man in a critical supporting role.
Inception (2010)
What else can be said about one of our generation’s best science fiction movies? It’s the movie that proved a dazzling action movie can be just as challenging as an indie and still make hundreds of millions of dollars. It also boasts one of my favourite musical scores of all time, with Hans Zimmer’s work career-defining.
The Dark Knight (2008)
But, as good as Inception is, to me, Nolan’s masterpiece will always be The Dark Knight. It’s still the best superhero movie ever made, and I firmly believe it belongs in any serious conversation about the best movies ever made. It’s thematically rich and features one of the most outstanding modern performances, Heath Ledger’s Joker. Sixteen years later, it’s still the tentpole movie every would-be blockbuster wants to be.
