Every Christopher Nolan Movie, Ranked
Originally published in 2020. Updated July 2023 to add Oppenheimer.
Whether it is by taking existing franchises (Batman) to new heights or creating memorable original works in genres ranging from sci-fi to war drama, Christopher Nolan has established himself as one of the top directors of the 21st century. In the gallery on this page we rank every film directed by Nolan throughout his career from worst to best by Metascore, a number from 0-100 that captures the opinions of top professional critics (with higher numbers indicating better reviews).
While the 2000 indie hit Memento was the director's first introduction to most filmgoers—kicking off a stellar career that may only now be reaching its peak—Nolan actually made his debut with the no-budget, black-and-white crime thriller Following two years earlier. The film barely screened in the United States (though it did win the top award at Sundance companion festival Slamdance), and it has grown in stature a bit in recent years. Two decades ago, however, critics recognized Nolan's budding talent but felt that his film was a bit too slight.
“There are moments in Christopher Nolan's thematically ambitious film noir that make you wish he had the time and money and, to a certain degree, talent, to fulfill his lofty goals.” —Michael Blowen, The Boston Globe
| Buy on |
|
| Stream On |
|
| Stream On |
|
| Stream On |
|