Posted 5 minutes agoEvery Christopher Nolan Film Ranked From Brilliant To Life-Changing, And I'm Still Not Over The Top 3Let's be honest - all of his films are amazing.by Ehis OsifoBuzzFeed ContributorFacebookPinterestLink A lil' fact about me - Christopher Nolan is my favorite director. I've seen every single one of his films and already have my ticket to see The Odyssey in 2026. Since most of his films are streaming on HBO Max, I returned to my annual rewatch of Nolan's Batman trilogy, here is my personal ranking of his canon. Bobby Bank / Getty Images Mr. Nolan, in the off-chance you ever see this article, please know that I love all of your films, and this was extremely difficult for me to do. 12. Tenet (2020): Warner Bros. Anyone familiar with Christopher Nolan's films knows that time and its manipulation are recurring themes. I wish I could study how his mind works. That being said, even though Tenet was visually cool to look at, for me, the plot was a little too difficult to fully grasp. And the payoff at the end fell a little short. Synopsis: An undercover agent must retrieve a mysterious and powerful weapon in order to stop a temporal war that could destroy the world. 11. The Dark Knight Rises (2012): Warner Bros. The conclusion of Nolan's Batman trilogy was epic, to say the least. Bane's "So you think darkness is your ally?" is one of my vocal stims. While the end of the trilogy was satisfactory, it fell a little short in terms of emotional payoff. I wish we had gotten a few more scenes of Batman/Bruce Wayne and Catwoman/Selina Kyle interacting; that would have them ending up together a bit more believable. Also, I love Marion Cotillard, but her death scene is up there with Sofia Coppola's The Godfather III. And that's not a good thing. Synopsis: The emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist with ruthless plans for Gotham, drives Batman out of his self-imposed exile. 10. Insomnia (2002): Warner Bros. Insomnia is one of Nolan's earlier works. This film was great, but it's one of the lesser Nolan-feeling films. Perhaps it's because it's one of the only works that neither Nolan nor his brother wrote or developed the story for.
Synopsis: Sent to an Alaskan town to help solve a murder, a sleep-deprived LA detective starts to unravel as he engages in a cat-and-mouse game with a wily killer. 9. Following (1998): (C)Zeitgeist Films/Courtesy Everett Collection Nolan's first movie, and, damn, it was a good one! He's only gone up from here.
Synopsis: A young writer who follows strangers for material meets a thief who takes him under his wing. 8. Interstellar (2014): Warner Bros. Interstellar isn't Nolan's first foray into time-play, nor is it his last. To me, it was more successful with Tenet plot-wise, but less successful than other films on this list. Synopsis: With humanity teetering on the brink of extinction, a group of astronauts travels through a wormhole in search of another inhabitable planet. 7. Dunkirk (2017): Warner Bros. Truly a masterpiece! To me, this was more of a visual and audio experience rather than a straight narrative. And as someone who appreciates an intricate plot, there are other works of Nolan's that I prefer more.
Synopsis: After Germany traps the Allied troops on the beaches of Dunkirk, France, British forces embark on an air and ground mission to evacuate the soldiers. 6. Oppenheimer (2023): Universal Pictures Nolan's first foray into a biopic was nothing short of successful. His ability to take a known historical figure with nuance and intrigue was a sight to behold. And his ability to take American Prometheus and make Oppenheimer is what makes it one of my favorite adapted films. Still, his original ideas carry a bit more weight for me.
Synopsis: Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and a team of scientists spend years developing the atomic bomb, forever changing the course of history. 5. The Prestige (2006): Warner Bros. Here's another banger of a book-to-film adaptation from Christopher Nolan. The amount of twists and turns...my goodness. Every time I rewatch, I notice something new, especially in Christian Bale's double performance as Alfred Borden and Bernard Fallon. Also, Rebecca Hall's Sarah Borden is my favorite female character in Nolan's repertoire.
Synopsis: Desperate to reveal each other's secrets, two rival magicians begin to perform increasingly risky tricks -- which soon turn deadly. 4. The Dark Knight (2008): Warner Bros. Three words: Heath Ledger's Joker. Also, Christopher and Jonathan (Nolan's brother and writing partner) really popped off with this line: "You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." Synopsis: The Joker throws Gotham into anarchy and forces Batman ever closer to crossing the line between hero and vigilante. 3. Batman Begins (2005): Warner Bros. Holy origin story. This is a testament to Nolan's prowess, as the first 40-something minutes of Batman Begins serve as preamble and background. Bruce doesn't even put on his Batman