Ten years ago, Christopher Nolan was just another filmmaker. With just four feature films to his name, Christopher Nolan of 2005 was just beginning to establish himself.
Today, ten years later, Nolan of 2015 is at the pinnacle of Hollywood. As one of the industry’s most acclaimed filmmakers, Nolan has continued to dazzle audiences and critics alike with incredible films year after year.
Here are four reasons, or more accurately, here are four of Nolan’s films that show just how superior his work really is.
1. Memento (2000)
The list begins with one of my personal favorite films, Memento. Memento is one of Nolan’s earliest works, but it is no less brilliant than anything he has put out in recent years.
Memento tells the story of Leonard, a man with short term memory loss who is hunting his wife’s killer. The hook of the film, and this is really what makes the film so incredibly brilliant, is the scenes of the film are actually played in reverse chronological order.
As unbelievable as this sounds, we literally watch the killer being killed in the very first scene of the movie. We then watch as the story plays backwards from this point on. While it sounds strange, it is an incredible viewing experience that is refreshingly unique and a pleasure to watch.
This film is truly one of my favorites, if not my all time favorite. From the very beginning, Memento gave us a look into Nolan’s brilliance even in the earliest years of his career.
2. The Dark Knight (2008)
The second installment in The Dark Knight Trilogy, The Dark Knight is not just another superhero movie. In fact, one does not have to be a superhero enthusiast to enjoy this film.
Another one of my favorite films, The Dark Knight is, in my opinion, easily the best superhero movie ever made, but also one of the greatest films ever made.
The plot is a brilliant rollercoaster ride from start to finish, with countless thrilling moments. The acting was phenomenal, particularly Heath Ledger’s now-famous role as The Joker, perhaps the best performance of a villain in film history. Nolan’s cinematography and Hans Zimmer’s score were spot on, creating a truly “dark” atmosphere that fit the movie perfectly.
All things considered, the film was absolutely brilliant. It killed at the box office, raking in a staggering $533 million. It was a smash hit, and another one of Nolan’s masterpieces.
3. Inception (2010)
This film was just straight up brilliant. Starring an excellent Leonardo DiCaprio, Inception was an incredibly well-constructed film with a mind-boggling story that not only merits but requires a second watch to truly grasp the film.
With Inception, Nolan takes the real-life concept of lucid dreaming and crafts a layered story that takes viewers for a ride. With excellent acting, great special effects and imagery, and top-of-the-line storytelling, Nolan truly brings Inception‘s dreamworlds to life.
While Memento employed a unique method of storytelling, and The Dark Knight showcased some incredible acting, Inception was Nolan’s first truly brilliant story. I’ve seen few films that enthralled me more than Inception.
4. Interstellar (2014)
Snubbed in this year’s Academy Awards Best Picture nominations, Interstellar tells a story with the brilliance of Inception. This time around, Nolan tackles science, exploring time travel, alternate dimensions, black holes, space, and numerous other anomalies in our universe.
Nolan takes already mind-boggling scientific concepts and creates an even more mind-boggling story that is at times even jaw dropping.
Having just viewed this film recently, I couldn’t believe how incredible certain parts of this film actually were. While viewing a film, I typically pay special attention to the cinematography, the acting, the score, and the other elements that make up the movie. But there were points that I forgot all of that, and couldn’t help but marvel at what was unfolding before my eyes.
Interstellar is Nolan’s latest masterpiece, and it proves that he is certainly still at the top of his game. I can’t wait for his future projects, and while I may be slightly biased in that he is my personal favorite director, I truly believe that Christoper Nolan is the best filmmaker in Hollywood.