3. Inception (2010) 

Christopher Nolan’s creativity knows no bounds. Since hitting Hollywood, Nolan has found innovative ways to express his projects through timelines, story, visual effects, practical effects, and character development that distinguishes his work. In his more recent efforts, Nolan has seemingly mastered the art of combining all his filmmaking abilities into singular masterpieces. Inception offers yet another mind-bending thriller. The story follows Dom Cobb (portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio), a skilled thief who specializes in extracting secrets from a person’s subconscious while they are in a dream state. During Cobb’s most difficult undertaking of his career, audiences find him to be deeply complex and tormented as a result of the success he’s had in his niche vocation. Only watching the film does justice to the story, which features an ending that has left fans debating its meaning to this day. 

By 2010, Nolan was more than established in Hollywood, and the clamoring to be in his films allowed for him the ability to begin casting ensemble casts of the highest talent. Aside from DiCaprio, Inception features Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page (formerly Ellen), Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy, Dileep Rao, and Cillian Murphy, to name a few. Where an actor’s prominence may cause them to falter in the quality of their films, Nolan’s productions have only improved with his success and increased resources. The movie won four of its eight Academy Award Nominations. Nolan received personal recognition through his nominations for Best Motion Picture of the Year and Best Original Screenplay.          

2. Interstellar (2014) 

Interstellar is a visually stunning and emotionally charged sci-fi epic that centers around human connection, spirit, and survival of the human race. The film follows former pilot and engineer Cooper (portrayed by Matthew McConaughey) as he is recruited by NASA to lead a daring mission through a wormhole to find a new habitable planet for humanity. Accompanying McConaughey on the cast are Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, and Casey Affleck. What most people don’t know about Nolan’s filmmaking process is whether he’s directing, writing, or producing, he has the utmost faith in audiences to follow the story and understand what’s going on in each production. He doesn’t believe in “dumbing things down” or playing to what someone may think audiences are capable of comprehending. This approach is evident in his bold yet impactful film projects.

Interstellar won the Oscar for Best Achievement in Visual Effects and was nominated in four other areas by the Academy. Nolan received personal recognition from the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards with a nomination for Best Director. Although Nolan’s projects up to the movie often featured impressive and moving film scores, Hans Zimmer’s music for Interstellar would treat audiences to awe-inspiring and wondrous scenes. Since the tone and composition meshed so well, fans were shocked to learn later the film score was developed without knowing the film would largely be set in space. To truly understand the brilliance of a Nolan film, one must understand and appreciate all the refined and masterfully crafted parts that make up a single production.     

1. The Dark Knight (2008)

Since the premiere of The Dark Knight, Warner Bros. and the D.C. Cinematic Universe have been trying to capture even a small bit of the magic the 2008 film exuded. In the performance of a lifetime, Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain, A Knight’s Tale) portrays Joker and serves as the main antagonist of the story. Ledger’s work in the movie did well, accenting the amazing screenplay as well as the performances from his co-stars, Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Gary Oldman. Nolan’s productions make it nearly impossible to zero in on one thing that worked well. The Dark Knight’s high praise from fans and critics alike derives from its masterful execution and synchronicity among direction, story, acting, and sheer entertainment. Fans were rightfully skeptical to hear about the reboot of a Batman franchise that already featured four separate iterations. Nolan’s filmmaking ability allowed the character to not only take on new depth and meaning but also deliver a staggeringly successful film trilogy. The achievement is emphasized by the two iterations of Batman (Ben Affleck, Robert Pattinson) that have largely fallen flat with audiences since the trilogy’s conclusion. 

The Dark Knight would go on to win two of its eight Academy Award nominations, including Ledger’s well-deserved recognition for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. To this day, the portrayal of Joker is chilling to watch and sets a high standard for film characters. The movie is Nolan’s highest-rated effort to date, and for good reason. The production’s unforgettable performances, narratives, themes, practical effects, and intensity allow the film to remain a benchmark in modern cinema.