Every Christopher Nolan Movie Ranked from Worst to Best

Christopher Nolan has undoubtedly become one of the best directors working today.  His ability to deliver fresh, original stories and make movies feel grounded in reality has been unparalleled thus far.  With Dunkirk now out in theaters, let’s take alook back and explore all of Nolan’s films to date.  As a warning, spoilers may be discussed so tread lightly.

#10: Dunkirk (2017)

Although Nolan’s ability as a technical master has never been better, Dunkirk makes incredibly obvious what many naysayers have been saying for quite some time: Nolan’s movies are emotionally distant.  While that’s certainly not the case in his other flicks, it’s very prevalent in Dunkirk by having the film focus on the event at hand rather than the characters but then also making trying to make us care about these paper thin characters.

This critic happily accepts the fact that this sentiment lies within a tiny minority of moviegoers and that many unabashedly love this film, however.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score: 92%

Metacritic Score: 94

MovieBabble Score: C+

*To read my full review of Dunkirk, please click here.

#9: Following (1998)

It’s amazing that in an age where movies keep getting longer, one of the biggest issues with Nolan’s first film, Following, is that it’s too short, clocking in at about one hour and ten minutes in total.  The film has an interesting premise about a man who has a chronic issue of following people around, but it’s ultimately too brief and technically lacking to be ranked higher on this list.

However, I would still advise you to check this film out if you get the chance.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score: 78%

Metacritic Score: 60

MovieBabble Score: B

#8: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Although it doesn’t have as solid of a story structure as the previous two Nolan Batman movies due to plot holes in its third act, The Dark Knight Rises is still a solid character study of one of our favorite superheroes.  Tom Hardy adds a memorable performance as Bane, providing a nice change in villain style that can take on Batman in hand-to-hand combat.  Overall, The Dark Knight Rises is a satisfying ending to the Nolan trilogy that stays true to the grounded world created in the first two films.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score: 87%

Metacritic Score: 78

MovieBabble Score: B+

#7: Insomnia (2002)

A forgotten but clever film in Christopher Nolan’s filmography, Insomnia is a great character piece about a man (Al Pacino) who slowly loses his mind as he can’t fall asleep during a trip to Alaska during the longest days of the year.  The film follows a murder case of a teenager girl and continues to ramp up the tension, led by a sufficiently creepy performance by the late Robin Williams as the killer.  Pacino and Williams have a great dynamic that gives the film an extra boost.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score: 92%

Metacritic Score: 78

MovieBabble Score: B+

#6: Interstellar (2014)

Arguably the most ambitious film on this list, Interstellar may not perfectly flesh out all its lofty themes that it sets out to study, but it does enough to be totally engrossing for its long running time.  More films like Interstellar should be made as the film explores territory and ideas like time in ways that we hadn’t seen until the film hit theaters in 2014.  Interstellar may be one of those movies that people come to appreciate more with age.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score: 71%

Metacritic Score: 74

MovieBabble Score: B+

#5: Batman Begins (2005)

Quite possibly the best origin story of a superhero put to film, Batman Begins takes it time to set up its central character (we don’t see Christian Bale in costume until about an hour into the movie) which gives the entire Dark Knight trilogy its emotional backbone.  Dark, gritty, and complex, Christopher Nolan striped away everything we hated about the Schumacher Batman films and gave us a reboot that is true to the iconic character.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score: 84%

Metacritic Score: 70

MovieBabble Score: A

#4: Inception (2010)

Christopher Nolan’s Inception is the rare summer blockbuster that has the levels (literally) and dramatic heft of a movie primed for Oscar season.  Nolan was so creative with Inception’s script that the film somehow managed to cram a serious love story, a group of mind-hacking spies, and three different levels of the same story into the same movie without feeling rushed or overstuffed.  It’s obvious after watching this film that Nolan likes challenging his audiences mentally.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score: 86%

Metacritic Score: 74

MovieBabble Score: A

#3: The Prestige (2006)

Another original film that’ll leave you speechless, The Prestige is one of the best magic movies ever created.  The movie takes the time to setup the relationship between the rival magicians (Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale) that puts The Prestige over the top.  As the two magicians try to one-up each other, the story becomes filled with more and more tension as the film reaches absurd (but seemingly still grounded) levels.  David Bowie also makes an appearance in the film as Nikola Tesla, which is just fantastic.

*To read my full review of The Prestige, please click here.

#2: The Dark Knight (2008)

Seemingly everyone has put in their two cents about how much they love the Dark Knight, but what actually makes this film an all-time classic is the way in which it conveys its themes.  One of the most underrated moments of the film is when Michael Caine’s Alfred talks with Bruce about his experiences in Burma, which parallels the Joker situation quite nicely.  The dialogue and delivery of scenes are handled with such grace that the film comes out almost perfectly.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score: 94%

Metacritic Score: 82

MovieBabble Score: A+

*To read my full review of The Dark Knight, please click here.

#1: Memento (2000)

This may not be the popular choice, but Memento does so much more with a limited budget than many of Christopher Nolan’s other films.  Memento is the perfect psychological character study, led by a great performance from Guy Pierce as a man who has lost the ability to create new memories.  I would normally spoil the ending here, but I’ll let you experience it for yourself as it may be one of the best final acts put to film.  However, if you don’t buy any of this praise, you can at least appreciate Memento for being the film that launched Nolan’s career.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score: 92%

Metacritic Score: 80

MovieBabble Score: A+

*To read my review of Memento, please click here.

Thanks for reading!  What is your favorite Christopher Nolan movie?  Comment below to make your thoughts heard.

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