Director: Christopher Nolan

Many a millennial has used Christopher Nolan as a gateway drug to cinephilia. One of the great blockbuster directors of his generation, Nolan has won the respect of fans, critics, and even the Academy. He began as a promising indie director with tough, complex stories. In 2003, Warner Bros handed Nolan creative control of the world’s most popular superhero, Batman, a decision that would reshape not just Nolan’s career but all of Hollywood. The resulting trilogy were the work of a cerebral auteur, elevated from the comic book ghetto. Nolan’s Gotham City is full of arch, operatic mythmaking and urban physicality. His Batman movies were billion-dollar earners and award winners, helping kick off the comic book movie flood of the 2010s along with Iron Man in 2008.

Incredibly, the Dark Knight trilogy proved not to be the peak of the mountain for Nolan’s career in any metric: he proceeded to do the impossible, make beloved and profit-generating big-budget originals. In 2024, his atomic biopic Oppenheimer won 7 Oscars. Nolan personally pocketed Best Picture and Best Director trophies. As of this writing, he’s the most coveted director in Hollywood.

Chronological

By Rating

Masterpiece: Tour De Good (8/8)

Exceptionally Good (7/8)

Very Good (6/8)

Not Seen / Not Rated

  • Following (1998)
  • Insomnia (2002)
  • Inception (2010)
  • Interstellar (2014)
  • Dunkirk (2017)
  • Tenet (2020)

Last Updated

  • 10/12/2024

Review Index

TitleDateFilm YearDirectorIs It GoodTags
Oppenheimer (2023)08/20/20232023Nolan, Christopher6, ,
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)11/27/20222012Nolan, Christopher6
The Prestige (2006)08/01/20222006Nolan, Christopher7,
The Dark Knight (2008)07/24/20222008Nolan, Christopher8,
Batman Begins (2005)05/25/20222005Nolan, Christopher7,
Memento (2000)08/31/20212000Nolan, Christopher6, ,

Dan is the founder and head critic of The Goods. Follow Dan on Letterboxd. Join the Discord for updates and discussion.