Ranking Christopher Nolan's Films (Worst to Best)
It is an understatement to say I'm a Christopher Nolan fan. Even though I haven't rocked with every movie he's put out I think his highs far eclipse his lows (which aren't even that low).
Let's go through each Nolan film and see what's up with this filmography!
Film/Rank:
#10- Insomnia (2002)
Reason Why:
I'm a fan of this Robin Williams performance, despite what this list may suggest. I'm even on board with the overall idea for the movie. Unfortunately, it's headlined by Al Pacino and Hilary Swank... not the best foot forward if you're trying to win me over. Beside my weird choices for which actors I don't like, I think that this movie lacks that Nolan magic that makes you feel like you're watching something different. There isn't anything about the way that the narrative unfolds or how it's shot that makes this movie a top tier Nolan film.
Film/Rank:
#9- Following (1998)
Reason Why:
This isn't a feature length film and that's pretty much my only knock on this film. It's well done and features a twist and maybe some connections to Inception in that both thieves are named Cobb. Maybe this is just like a real rough draft for the Cobb character or something. Either way, I like the philosophy of Cobb in terms of making people consider whether or not they really care about the things in their life but it's only one hour and nine minutes so you can't really live in this Nolan world for long enough. I do like the Batman logo on one of the apartment doors though!
Film/Rank:
#8- Interstellar (2014)
Reason Why:
I distinctly remember thinking, "I don't need to own this movie on Blu Ray when it comes out." It's a movie that finds its strengths in displaying the majesty of space and corn fields. It has a great cast that is used to varying degrees of success with a bombastic soundtrack that sometimes drowns out the dialogue. The biggest problem I have, however, with this movie is the ending which features a mini McConaughey in a book shelf trying to convince his daughter not to leave in a crazy time travel moment. It's not that the scene is silly. It's that it feels like more time should have been spent with that concept since it kind of felt like the whole point of the movie. I guess I'm saying there was too much material for the run time of the movie.
Film/Rank:
#7- The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Reason Why:
I have strong opinions about this movie. It doesn't portray Batman the way I want him to be portrayed. Which is to say it's a movie where batman gives up, not once, but twice. My feelings aside, I have to admit that it is the right conclusion to the story arc Christopher Nolan set up in Batman Begins. I do think there isn't enough Batman or at least you have to wait too long before you see Batman but at least Bane is great (I won't hear any complaints about him) and I thought Anne Hathaway's take on Catwoman was fine.
Film/Rank:
#6- Batman Begins (2005)
Reason Why:
You have to respect how serious this Batman is. Especially coming off of Batman & Robin. But even if you don't compare this movie to any of the previous films, what stands out about this movie is the focus on Bruce and Batman as portrayed as the 2nd best Bruce and Batman. In all seriousness, it's the attempt to actually bring out stuff from the comics (post '86) with Nolan's ability to create realistic looking worlds that still feel otherworldly. It's a great film that may or may not be a bit too earnest depending on who you ask.
Film/Rank:
#5- Memento (2000)
Reason Why:
Now this is that magic I was talking about on full display. The fact that this film plays out backwards and features an unreliable narrator makes for a great watch every time. The way that Christopher Nolan unfolds the narrative of this film makes everything that much more tense and creates a much more active than passive viewing of the film on repeat viewings. And yet it's still not as ambitious as other films on this list. That's how great Mr. Nolan is!
Film/Rank:
#4- Dunkirk (2017)
Reason Why:
I told Pauline as we left this film that this movie is, without a doubt, the exact movie Christopher Nolan would like to make every time. There is an unconventional way of unfolding the narrative and there is very little dialogue so as not to have people bash his lack of humour. This is another film that definitely engages you right away since it's a movie that feels like the third act of any other kind of movie, which is to say with the conceit that scenes on the beach are taking place over the span of a week, scenes on the water are taking place over the span of a day, and scenes taking place in the air are happening over the course of an hour forces you to pay attention but also makes sure there is little downtime and maximum action to drive the story.
Film/Rank:
#3- Inception (2010)
Reason Why:
While Dunkirk, is near flawless execution of an idea, I prefer the more ambitious feel of Inception. Admittedly I'm always interest in the idea that humans dream with no apparent benefit. So any movie that wants to explore dreaming is going to be a hit with me. But it's the fact that, to the best of my knowledge, this is an original concept from Mr. Nolan. He isn't adapting anything and he's created this amazing world to enjoy. There's humour, action, suspense, and mystery galore with an ending that still has people debating (especially Aidan). Plus it was my confirmation is never not interesting on screen!
Film/Rank:
#2- The Prestige (2006)
Reason Why:
I hate that I have to defend this movie, especially to the love of my life on Movies vs. Matrimony. But, I'll do it till there's no more breath in my lungs! There are so many levels to this movie. I know it's an adaptation from a novel but it still displays great world building from Nolan with some great performances from Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. It even has some great narration from Michael Caine at the beginning of the movie that, if you're not careful, might go over your head as it pertains to the themes of the movie.
Film/Rank:
#1- The Dark Knight (2008)
Reason Why:
People like to diminish the achievements of this film because Heath Ledger got a posthumous Oscar for his performance. The fact is that Heath disappeared into The Joker. No one while watching this film was thinking "hey, Heath's doing a good job" they were just watching the Joker on screen and that is the case whether or not Heath died. I'm also perplexed by saying that the Two-Face stuff is tacked on. THE WHOLE MOVIE IS ABOUT TWO-FACE!!! It's Bruce and Harvey's arcs with a side of Gordon. They are the three men Joker plays with to see who he can get to break. Harvey breaks, Bruce and Gordon compromise their morals... maybe a little too much. But Harvey is what at stake during the whole movie. Bruce is hoping he can stop being Batman because Harvey Dent is so effective working within the law. So instead of just having a random person going crazy we get to see the Harvey to Two-Face transformation play out in a movie that also has The Joker! What a treat for us all! EXCELLENT FILM!
-YG