Christopher Nolan has established himself as one of the best filmmakers in the industry today. His ability to tell a story in a unique way and his confident directing makes his films a spectacle to behold. With Dunkirk hitting theaters this weekend, I thought it would be a good time to rank his filmography. 

10. Following

Following, which is by far Nolan’s shortest film, tells the story of a young writer who follows strangers for inspiration. It is a neat film and good for what it is. You can definitely see a lot of Nolan’s directing qualities that we love today in this one. The problem is that it is too short and lacks character development to make it great.

9. Insomnia

The thing that is most frustrating about Insomnia is that there is so much talent, but in its entirety the movie is kind of boring and the pacing is inconsistent. There are some really good moments, though. Overall, Insomnia is a solid crime drama and good for a rainy day.

8. Batman Begins

When I first saw Batman Begins back on 2005, I absolutely loved it. It is one of the best Batman adaptations ever, no doubt. The problem for me is, it did not age well. The visual effects and look of Gotham City just does not look as good on the re watch. Also, Christian Bale did not 100% convince me as Batman. He was always good, not great.  Ultimately, Batman Begins got overshadowed by The Dark Knight.

7. The Prestige

It actually frustrates me that The Prestige is this low on my list. It is such a great film, with lots of twists and turns. I just simply think that Nolan has made better films since this one. It is a little too long and the audio was mixed extremely low. Overall though, lots of fun.

6. The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight rises is an awesome movie. There are some really cool fight scenes, and Tom Hardy’s portrayal of the villain Bane was scary good. The biggest issue is that Batman spends a good portion of the movie trapped in a hole. I know the entire point is for him to “rise”, but I think he was absent just a little too much in the movie. The Dark Knight Rises is still a great conclusion to an awesome trilogy.

5. Memento

Memento was Nolan’s big break in Hollywood, and it ultimately propelled him into stardom. The screenplay is absolutely fantastic and the film as a whole has aged beautifully. The re watch value is incredible as well.

4. The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight is probably the best comic book movie of all time, although it mostly feels like a crime drama (that’s the beauty of it). Heath Ledger as The Joker is iconic. It is such a great performance that it overshadows Batman which can be perceived as an issue. The score is incredible as well. As a whole, it is an amazing film.

3. Interstellar

Interstellar is truly one of the most beautiful films of our generation. It stands tall with 2001: A Space Odyssey, which some regard as the greatest film of all time. The story is ambitious, but with Nolan’s confident direction, it is executed tremendously. Hans Zimmer delivers one of his most memorable scores as well. I cry every time I watch it.

2. Inception

Inception is the most complex, well written script I have ever seen. I have never had my mind blown like it was after walking out of the theaters in 2010. Such great performances from the entire cast as well. Hans Zimmer had another phenomenal score in this one. You can tell because after Inception’s release, every action movie sounded just like Inception. The use of practical effects by Nolan and the layers of the story makes it so much fun to watch over and over again.

 1. Dunkirk

 I never thought Nolan would make a movie that I liked more than Inception. Well, after seeing Dunkirk for the second time in IMAX 70mm film, it absolutely blew me away. The visual storytelling combined with the realism and bold directing makes Dunkirk one of the best war movies of all time, and Nolan’s true masterpiece. I can’t wait to see what he does next.