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).
In 2006, Nolan followed Batman Begins with this thriller about rival magicians (played by Hugh Jackman and Nolan's Batman star Christian Bale) in late 19th century London. Adapted from a novel by Christopher Priest, the film itself attracted a rival in the form of The Illusionist, another film about turn-of-the-century magicians directed by Neil Burger and released a few months prior to Nolan's film. The Illusionist scored slightly better reviews (some critics didn't like the excessive trickery present in Nolan's work), but The Prestige won the box office battle.
“It's a gorgeous, strange little piece -- but I did find myself wishing it poked fewer aces out its sleeve after urging us to pay such close attention.” —M.E. Russell, The Oregonian
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