Christopher Nolan.Aalok Soni/Getty Images for Universal PicturesWe ranked all Christopher Nolan's movies from worst to best.See where "The Dark Knight" trilogy and other hits like "Memento" and "Inception" rank.Also find out where his latest movie, "The Odyssey," landed on the list.Oscar winner Christopher Nolan is one of the most acclaimed directors working in Hollywood today. With a filmography spanning everything from major franchises to mind-bending mysteries, the director is known turning all kinds of stories into masterpieces — many of which are best enjoyed on IMAX.Here are all his movies, ranked for worst to best.13. "Insomnia" (2002)Starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank.Warner Bros. Pictures/Summit Entertainment/Touchstone PicturesFollowing the success of his breakthrough hit, "Memento," Nolan was quickly snatched up by Hollywood. Steven Soderbergh pulled him into Warner Bros. and that led to Nolan directing this thriller, starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams.Seeing Williams in the rare bad-guy role was intriguing, but Pacino as a tired cop fell flat.In the movie Pacino plays a cop trying to solve a murder in an Alaskan town with perpetual daylight. That aspect didn't help an already slow-burn story.It's the rare Nolan movie that doesn't feel like the auteur had full control. But we highly recommend the original Norwegian movie it's based on. 12. "Following" (1998)Starring Jeremy Theobald and Alex Haw.Momentum PicturesNolan's feature debut is unique right out of the gate: A writer who gets his material by following strangers around. Of course, things get more complex when he is taken under the wing of a thief.This black-and-white movie shows hints of Nolan's greatness from the surprise reveals in the story to the perfect use of music. 11. "Batman Begins" (2005)Christian Bale beat Gyllenhaal out for the lead in "Batman Begins."Warner Bros./"Batman Begins"Nolan reboots the Batman franchise with an impressive origin story that rides on the talents of its lead, Christian Bale.Though we had to deal with the lame Scarecrow as the villain (sorry, Cillian Murphy), the movie gave us a lot to be excited about going forward.10. "Tenet" (2020)John David Washington in "Tenet"Warner Bros.This is by far the most complex film I have ever seen, but that's part of the beauty of the movie. It's one you have to be completely locked in for and if you do that, then the payoff is how satisfying the finale is.Basically Nolan makes a spy movie but with a time travel element that only he can pull off. John David Washington is fantastic as the guy who is trying to figure it all out, and then there's the magnificent score by Ludwig Göransson that adds to the power of not just this movie, but the legacy of moving music that has been featured throughout Nolan's filmography.9. "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012)Warner Bros.The final chapter in Nolan's Batman franchise might have hit a little franchise fatigue, and the trouble people had understanding Tom Hardy's words as Bane didn't help things, either.But, like with most Nolan movies, it has one heck of an ending.8. "The Odyssey" (2026)Matt Damon in "The Odyssey."Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal PicturesNolan's moving adaptation of Homer's epic poem is appropriately ambitious. "The Odyssey" pulls together many of the themes he's explored in his previous films — memory, leaving home, war — to create a work that feels like the culmination of his career thus far.7. "Interstellar" (2014)Paramount/InterstellarIt's hard to say which Nolan movie is his most ambitious because it seems he always turns things up a notch for his next one. But "Interstellar" is certainly up there.His "2001"-like space epic may have confused even the most hardcore of Nolan fans, but that's part of its appeal. This is one of those titles that will gain more acclaim as new generations come across it.6. "Oppenheimer" (2023)"Oppenheimer."UniversalTelling the story of a real-life person for the first time in his career, Nolan's examination of the life and work of J. Robert Oppenheimer is epic in every aspect of storytelling.Cillian Murphy's take on Oppenheimer is a masterclass in acting, and the chilling ending of the movie shows how high the stakes were and why the power Oppenheimer gave to the world could turn out to be too much.The movie would earn Nolan a best director Oscar. The movie received the best picture Oscar.5. "The Prestige" (2006)Starring Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, and Michael Caine.Buena Vista Pictures Distribution/Warner Bros. PicturesMade between "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight," this movie doesn't get the respect it deserves in Nolan's filmography.When it came out, "The Prestige" was talked about in reference to another magician movie that was released the same year, "The Illusionist" starring Edward Norton. But through time, Nolan's movie, starring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as competing magicians, has finally begun to get some respect. 4. "Dunkirk" (20
Don't miss out on breaking stories and in-depth articles.
