Christopher Nolan Movies
Christopher Nolan movies carry a mark that’s easy to spot from a mile away. Forget if you can the almost overwhelming hype that, like clockwork, accompanies each and every Christopher Nolan movie (or at least every film of his since The Dark Knight), Christopher Nolan movies also feature labyrinthine stories, blaring scores, and Michael Caine.
Christopher Nolan movies are like puzzles. Each piece, each detail, is meant to add something to the overall picture. Everything in a Christopher Nolan movie has a specific purpose—not an easy thing to do when your films usually run two hours or more.
Now that he’s concluded his Batman trilogy, Christopher Nolan movies will hopefully continue to be original and bold. Interstellar, the next Christopher Nolan movie, is a mystery at this time, but a Christopher Nolan movie set in space has all the potential in the world.
Christopher Nolan Movies
Following
A writer finds inspiration in following strangers, but one mark is onto him, and the two eventually form a dangerous friendship.
RATING: 
(1 viewing)
Definitely Nolan’s weakest film overall. Still, Following is an engrossing neo-noir, and there’s some meta fun in watching a micro-budget Christopher Nolan movie.
Memento
A man without short-term memory hunts for his wife’s killer, John G. (Click here for my full Memento review.)
RATING:
(3+ viewings)
Nolan’s masterpiece, now and always. Talk about every ounce of plot feeling essential, that’s the essence of Memento, though you might not realize it until the tragic final frames.
Insomnia
Two Los Angeles detectives are sent to an Alaska town where the sun doesn’t set to investigate a murder.
RATING:
(2 viewings)
The fog-choked atmosphere is the star of this film, a remake of a Norwegian thriller of the same name. Al Pacino and Robin Williams are also quite good. Hilary Swank and her painfully underwritten role bring it down a bit. Nolan still hasn’t figured out how to write female characters, has he?
Batman Begins
The story of Bruce Wayne, from childhood through his first days as the Caped Crusader when he’s forced to confront a ghost from his past.
RATING: 
(5+ viewings)
A great, still thrilling film that genuinely changed the superhero genre for good. The quick-witted mentality of Raimi’s Spider-Man was no longer the style du jour. These movies needed to be brooding and serious—two words that unquestionably describe Nolan’s first take on Bruce Wayne.
The Prestige
Two magicians feud with each other in an attempt to become master of their craft. The results are deadly.
RATING:
(3+ viewings)
While the twists and turns definitely add to the overall enjoyment of The Prestige (my favorite viewing remains my first), the film doesn’t require your ignorance. There are some great performances on display here, and the period setting allows Nolan to go wild with production design, costumes, etc.
The Dark Knight
Batman takes on his most unpredictable foe, The Joker, who wants chaos to rule the day in Gotham City. (Click here for my full The Dark Knight review.)
RATING:
(10+ viewings)
Heath Ledger’s performance, I’ve said before, was perhaps the most important to his particular film that I’ve ever seen. Without him and the qualities he gave The Joker, this film could have collapsed in on itself. It doesn’t, and it holds up spectacularly.
Inception
An extraction specialist leads a team into the mind of a businessman for his toughest job ever. (Click here for my full Inception review.)
RATING:
(5+ viewings)
It goes on a little long, but this immensely watchable mind-bender is perhaps Christopher Nolan’s most technically proficient movie. It’s also his first and, to date, only film to earn a Best Picture nomination.
The Dark Knight Rises
Following the events of The Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne goes into hiding for nine years. He’s lured out by a new threat—the psychotic Bane. (Click here for my full The Dark Knight Rises review.)
RATING:
(3 viewings)
Definitely loses a little something upon rewatch. It was easy to get swept up in the breakneck plot on the big screen with Hans Zimmer’s score beating furiously. On the small screen, it’s easier to see the story’s stretch marks. I still really enjoy the final Batman movie, though. The notes of finality hit home in a satisfying way.
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