The Best Christopher Nolan Movies: All of His Films Ranked From Worst to Best

• Starring: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%

Nolan’s most recent film to date is by far his most bombastic. Tenet throws every single convoluted idea in Nolan's brain at the wall and while much of it doesn’t stick, it's still entertaining as hell even if you're struggling to understand what is going on throughout the lengthy runtime. Add up Inception and Interstellar's convoluted plot lines and multiply it by 100, Tenet takes us on an international espionage journey.

The film follows an unnamed CIA operative called the protagonist (John David Washington) who uses "time inversion" in an attempt to prevent Russian oligarch Andrei Sator from starting World War III. Sound convoluted? Well, that's because it is.

Tenet proves that Nolan’s obsession with the aspect of time doesn’t always work from a storytelling perspective. The movie’s plot is confusing to an extreme degree, the sound mixing makes a chore out of hearing certain scenes, and you’re left at the end of the film with less understanding of the plot than you entered with.

Tenet is what happens when you let Nolan off the leash and don’t try to give him any sort of guardrails; you get a visual spectacle, but the story leaves you wanting more.

• Starring: Jeremy Theobald, Alex Haw, Lucy Russell
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%

Christopher Nolan’s first film, while still being a solid entry for his filmography, is one of his weakest. However, it’s hard to fault the director for it, as it very much looks and feels like a student project, and in many ways, it is. Clocking in at just 70 minutes, Following centers around a man that is slowly drawn into London’s criminal underworld.

Shot entirely in black and white and on 16mm film, Following won numerous awards at different film festivals and is worth a watch if you’re curious on how Nolan got his start.

"Nolan wasn’t always mapping out maze-like stories and creating big spectacles setpieces. His first feature film was a short, black and white crime thriller titled Following. There’s nothing too inspiring to write home about, as the story doesn’t do anything ambitious or outlandish like his later work. The one thing that stands out is his somewhat convoluted and mysterious storyline which does follow him throughout his career." - Cole Keough

• Starring: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

A movie that has Al Pacino and Robin Williams in starring roles with Christopher Nolan directing cannot miss, and Insomnia proves that. Pacino stars as an insomnia-plagued detective investigating the murder of a teenage girl in rural Alaska who is forced to confront not only his personal demons but the ones at the heart of the case too.

Insomnia is the only movie in Nolan’s filmography that he did not write or co-write, and while the script borders on dull at points, the performances of both Pacino and Williams rescue the film from being a rough watch. 

• Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Morgan Freeman
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%

A great conclusion to the best trilogy of superhero movies ever made, The Dark Knight Rises, while the “worst” of the trio, leaves its mark on the genre. It’s Nolan at his purest, with incredible filmography, action sequences, character development, and a plot that is never hard to wrap your head around.

Set eight years after The Dark Knight; this movie sees Batman in forced retirement, seemingly content with how James Gordon and the police have cleaned up the city. However, after the villainous Bane emerges as a terrifying new threat, Bruce Wayne finds himself at his lowest and is forced to watch as the madman conquers Gotham.

Following The Dark Knight was never going to be easy, but Nolan manages to succeed here and does so in a wonderful fashion.

• Starring: Guy Pearce, Carrie Anne-Moss, Joe Pantoliano
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

Nolan’s first real foray into the “I’m a little confused” genre, Memento is the story of a man trying to avenge the death of his wife, but he can’t get a grasp of his memories.

The movie is told in reverse and is sequenced as a thriller that leaves you guessing practically to the very end. It’s also considered Nolan’s best work by many fans, but for me, it’s a good film that just falls shy of being truly great.

• Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Elliot Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%

I know some people will argue that Inception is one of, if not his best, movies, but for me, it’s a fine film that, much like Tenet, is a visual spectacle with a story that gets a little too weird for its own good. Going inside a dream, inside a dream, inside a dream to plant an idea within that dream to break up a company while also dealing with the traumatic past of the lead thief becomes a bit of a jumbled mess at points.

That all being said, Inception is a hell of a good time. Like so much of Nolan’s filmography, it’s an absolute treat to witness, especially if you were lucky enough to see it in theaters. The entire cast puts in great performances that anchor the plot and help not to make the exposition scenes feel like you’re sitting in your high school physics class.

"The film that defines Christopher Nolan, Inception is, in my opinion, his best and most resonating work to date. Nolan has had some wild ideas for films in the past, but they have never worked as well as this." - Cole Keough

• Starring: Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Gary Oldman, Katie Holmes, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 84%

In 2005, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who would have thought that Nolan would direct the greatest superhero trilogy ever, but hey, Hollywood is full of surprises. Batman Begins is a reboot of the character following the utter disaster that was Batman & Robin, and it paid off in a big way.

While we’ve seen the Batman “origin story” before (many, many times), Nolan manages to handle the character’s beginning in such an interesting way that it never feels like he’s retreading old ground. 

Cillian Murphy and Liam Neeson play excellent foils and villains for Christian Bale’s Batman to cut his teeth with. Nolan makes a great creative decision to ground this universe in reality, showing that you can still create an engaging and human superhero story despite Batman’s impressive rogues' gallery full of superpowered villains. 

"Superhero movies at the time were in a shaky place, especially the character of Batman. Before Nolan’s Batman Begins, the previous Batman film to be released was 1997s Batman and Robin which is regarded by some as the worst movie of all time and downright unwatchable. To dig out of that Batman grave was an extremely difficult task, but Nolan somehow managed to accomplish it. With consistently gripping performances, spectacular practical and visual effects, and musical scores by composer Hans Zimmer, this trilogy earns its name as one of the best of all time." - Cole Keough

• Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, John Lithgow, Matt Damon
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 73%

If there’s one thing we know about Christopher Nolan by now, it’s that he loves to mess around with time, and Interstellar might just be his masterpiece when it comes to time dilation. 

Set in a future where planet Earth is slowly dying due to overpopulation, famine, and drought, Matthew McConaughey plays an astronaut that is sent through a black hole to potentially find a new home for humanity. Like so many of Nolan’s films, it’s a visual masterpiece, showing the wonders of space travel and also its perils. 

Hans Zimmer’s score, most notably its theme, received an Academy Award nomination, and the movie also won Best Visual Effects. The performances were fantastic across the board, and while, similar to Tenet and Inception, the plot can become a bit messy at times, the movie never drags.

As much as it is a story about saving humanity, it is also about repairing a single fractured family and how, even across space and time, love can conquer all.

• Starring: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, David Bowie, Rebecca Hall
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 76%

Not to sound hokey, but The Prestige, a film based on two illusionists in 19th-century London battling for dominance, is a work of magic. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman–who always bring their A-game–are especially magnetic in this movie, lighting up the screen anytime they appear.

When a magical illusion goes wrong, with each accusing the other of wrongdoing, Bale and Jackman’s characters work tirelessly to damage the other. Unlike some of the director’s other movies, it's a thrilling film that is a better watch on repeated viewings. 

"Probably Christopher Nolan’s most underrated film to date, The Prestige is a near flawless portrayal of obsession. Not only do the actors provide spectacular performances, but the script is one of Nolan’s best that has another all-time Nolan ending which is sure to leave you speechless. If you consider yourself a Nolan fan, The Prestige is a must-watch." - Cole Keough

• Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, Harry Styles, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, Barry Keoghan, Kenneth Branagh
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

What makes Dunkirk such a fantastic war movie is that it relies on tension rather than just the usual action and blood and guts that you’d find in other films of the genre. Instead, it’s a story set across three narrative timelines, each one telling a different story of the Dunkirk evacuations, that feels cohesive, despite all of them involving different characters that never actually meet.

His directorial choice of not showing any German soldiers until the film's final few minutes was fantastic. The ever-growing sense of dread we feel as their armies close in on the fleeing British soldiers is a very real one, and, like the soldiers on the beach, we feel the fear and panic as these men attempt to get to safety.

Nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, Dunkirk is Nolan at his very best. In addition, it won Best Film Editing, Sound Mixing, and Sound Editing, which, while not the flashiest awards at the Oscars, were absolutely crucial for making this film as great as it is.

"Dunkirk is Nolan's most mature film to date that takes viewers firsthand into World War II. Without is in Nolan’s filmography, I believe he would still be missing a more mature and defining feature film which is why this is the most important film in his collection." - Cole Keough

• Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%

Without question, The Dark Knight is Nolan’s finest work, and no argument will change my mind. A movie that deconstructs a whole genre and tackles the question of “When does a hero become a vigilante?” has been universally praised as not just a great superhero movie but a fantastic film.

All of the cast are fantastic in their roles, but Heath Ledger as The Joker steals the show and turns in one of the most legendary acting performances ever, making Batman feel like a secondary character in his own movie.

The Joker’s ideals of anarchy and chaos are at the heart of what makes him the perfect foil to Batman, who represents safety and order. They are two sides of the same coin, a dynamic that has been explored time and time again in Batman comics, but here it feels fresh. Ledger’s Joker is the biggest reason why, as he’s not after anything in particular. As he explains, “I’m like a dog chasing cars; I wouldn’t know what to do if I caught one, you know, I just do…things.”

"Christopher Nolan ups the ante in the second film of the trilogy and delivers what many consider one of the greatest movies ever made. The Dark Knight is everything a Batman film should be and features a daring, Oscar-winning performance from the great Heath Ledger as he plays the menacing Joker. It’s difficult to give new praise for this film since it has received so much over the years, but to put it simply, Nolan became a household name because of this movie." - Cole Keough