Christopher Nolangets the same notes from every one of his actors in interviews. He never sits down for a single second on set, he comes to filming in a three-piece suit, demands that elaborate practical effects be emphasized over CGI, and ensures that his films not only stun visually but mentally. In many ways, Nolan’s ingenuity and painstaking work ethic helped the thinking movie become a commercial darling.
Updated June 07, 2025: Following the release ofOppenheimer, this list has been updated to include it. See where it ranks alongside Nolan’s filmography.
Whether it’s the dreamscapes ofInception, the chaotic planning ofThe Dark Knight, or the mental gymnastics ofMemento, Nolan’s films are blockbuster Trojan Horses that hide puzzles for their plentiful viewers. Where many filmmakers can try and fail to copy the impact of a Nolan-esque plot twist, Nolan’s fluency in how difficult and tedious a twist is to successfully execute shows his understanding that a twist can’t come from what can throw the audience but rather what can ground them. To celebrate the uniqueness and prestige that Nolan brings to the screen and with the release of his latest filmOppenheimer, these are all of Christopher Nolan’s movies, ranked.
12Following (1998)
Christopher Nolan made his directorial debut with the 1998 neo-noir crime thrillerFollowing,which centers on a struggling yet gifted writer who takes to the streets of London in search of inspiration, tailing strangers on his quest to create his first novel. Known as “The Young Man” (Jeremy Theobald), the restless character is taken under the wing of the cunning-yet-dangerous serial burglar Cobb, leading to a twisted and tragic series of events for the writer.
Related:Following: Why the First Christopher Nolan Movie is One You Should Watch
Nolan shot the independent filmon just a $6,000 budgetand in black-and-white,using a non-linear plot structurethat the filmmaker would once again utilize in future picturesMemento, Batman Begins,andThe Prestige.The innovative director’s promising talent and distinct aesthetic is on full display in the thriller, though he would go on to fully master his storytelling skills in his later cinematic triumphs.
11Tenet (2020)
Tenetisn’t as so-so of a movie as many have made it out to be, but its legacy remains playfully plagued as the time people felt Warner Brothers wastrying to kill everyone. In fact,Tenetis a great, puzzling, and convoluted mismatch of time travel and entropy adding up to a sprint down Nolan lane; and eventually, it may be recognized as such.
But for popular culture today, given the memorial and viral persistence of COVID-19, the controversy of WB demanding the film be released in theaters before the pandemic was under control at any capacity has become the only commercial recognition of this mostly unseen Nolan treat. As a result, this film has to be judged according to not just its merits but its lack of positive cultural impact. Critically, it was well-liked, being nominated for two Academy Awards and taking the win in Best Visual Effects.
10The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
From its start,The Dark Knight Riseshad to deal with two titanic issues. One, the Joker could no longer exist, and two, the Joker existed. Trying to recapture the world-stopping impact that Heath Ledger’s Joker had on society wasn’t just impossible, it was a theatrically demanded suicide mission.
For the film to still somewhat succeed in its conclusion, offering Batman and Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) against Bane (Tom Hardy) and a surprise villain was like landing on the moon. While it didn’t and likely couldn’t impact viewers in the wayThe Dark Knightdid, and, likeBegins, has now all but vanished intoThe Dark Knight’sshadow, its exploration of Batman’s aging, abstinence, and legacy made for a solid superhero story.
9Insomnia (2002)
A remake of the 1997 Norwegian masterpiece of the same name,Insomniafollows a corrupt, sleepless detective who tries to solve a murder while being investigated for repeatedly falsifying evidence. As the only Nolan film that he himselfdidn’t have any hand in writing, one can spot similarities in style, but vast differences in plot from other Nolan flicks. The acting is fantastic, and the story is layered, but it does lack a certain magical quality of shock and awe Nolan is known for.Insomniadoes boast an incredible cast, including Al Pacino, Hilary Swank, and a rarevillainous role from Robin Williams.
8Interstellar (2014)
This film is sometimes regarded as a controversial contender in Nolan’s filmography given that some aspects of its ending go far off the deep end, but if those can be overlooked or even enjoyed,Interstellaris a knockout. In the near future, as Earth is dying, a pilot-turned-farmer has to return to the skies for NASA, the mission being to scope out three potentially hospitable worlds in other solar systems.
Themusic scrapes at Hans Zimmer’s zenith, Matthew McConaughey gives arguably an even better performance than Oscar-winning his role inDallas Buyers Club, the visuals are beyond anything put on screen before, literally generating two scientific papers about the insights that these 100 hours per frame render times gave about the visual interiors of black holes, and the story will simultaneously emotionally devastate and uplift you in ways no other Nolan film ever has.
7Dunkirk (2017)
Nominated alongsideDarkest Hourfor Best 2017 Movie AboutBritain’s War Strategy at Dunkirk,Dunkirkhad the crucial advantage of being a good movie. Initially disregarded as Nolan’s most uninspired premise,Dunkirkcelebrates those that fought to save Britain’s chances in World War II, and what it lacks in time travel or totems for Nolan fans it makes up in intensity and quality.
Related:20 Mind-Bending Movies Every Christopher Nolan Fan Should See (That Aren’t Directed By Him)
Looking at the battle from land, sea, and air, we see time running out, with the literal sound of a clock ticking, and leaving audiences with no room to breathe or to undo the knots in their stomachs.Dunkirkalso has a great cast including Fionn Whitehead, Mark Rylance, and Tom Hardy. For Nolan fans, as unexpected as it may seem given the realism, he absolutely 100% delivers in this.
6Batman Begins (2005)
The introduction to the Nolanverse provides all the best hits of a Bruce Wayne origin story: parents are loaded, parents are loaded with bullets, child becomes a bat. Like the other Nolan Batman movies,Batman Beginsgives us two villains —Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy)and Ra’s al Ghul (Liam Neeson) — both giving Wayne (Christian Bale) a run for his billions and ego in being Gotham’s protector.
Batman Beginsmight be one of the most important movies of the 21st century, as it not only launched Nolan into the status of A-list director, but it became the template for blockbusters that is still felt today. Movies tried to copy it by trying to be realistic and grounded, and it popularized the concept of a reboot. Nolan redefeind Batman for a new generation, kicked off a highly successful trilogy and made audiences rethink what a summer blockbuster could be.
5Memento (2000)
Basically acting asTenetbeforeTenet,Mementofollows a man (Guy Pearce) trying to find who killed his wife, with one major setback, he’s unable to create short-term memories. As a result, we can only decipher his perspective in disjointed directions, one starting at the beginning of the story and moving forward, the other starting at the end and moving backward, and the final minutes of the film having these timelines intersect at the middle.Mementois unlike anything else you’ll ever see, launching Nolan into the forefront of puzzle-based filmmaking and setting the tone for a Nolan film requiring some level of pretending to understand it the first or fifth time around.
4The Prestige (2006)
Nolan films will have a great twist at the end, butThe Prestigehas a handful. Two 1890s magicians (Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman) are in a cutthroat competition for London’s recognition as being the best, willing to not just sabotage one another but sabotage themselves, their relationships, and their tickets to the Pearly Gates. As the two duke it out for the ultimate trick, teleporting from one end of the stage to the other in a flash, they realize real magic requires a blood sacrifice. For its lack of popular recognition,The Prestigeis one of Nolan’s absolute finest, showcasing exceptional performances, brilliant surprises, and philosophical devastation.
3Inception (2010)
Nolan’ssecond-most impactful filmfor its pop culture footprint,Inceptiontook the world by storm in its 2010 release. Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an information thief, using a military experiment to enter victims’ dreams and steal secrets for a fee. When given the opportunity to clear his name for allegedly killing his wife, Cobb has to agree to the impossible: “inception,” or the act of inserting an idea into a victim’s mind via their dreams — like say, dissolving one’s father’s company.
WhereInceptionearns a myriad of brownie points for taking complex ideas and turning them into tangible and accessible beats, it does have to pay penance for its laundry list of plot holes. If you’re willing to overlook them, the film contains some of the most original action sequences ever, a brilliant story about loss and grief, and one of the best 2010s scores you’ll find outsideReznor & Ross' soundtrack workon David Fincher films.Inceptionwas a huge critical success, being nominated for eight Academy Awards and winning four.
