All 11 Christopher Nolan Movies Ranked From Good to Best!

Christopher Nolan's newest blockbuster, Tenet, has finally arrived in theaters after several delays due to the pandemic. Before I publish my analyzed review and my theories on the film, I will have to watch it again, and before I do that, I figured it would be a great time to rank his movies.

Nolan has had a remarkable career spanning over 20 years, and he has become one of the world's most well-known, prolific filmmakers. He's my biggest inspiration, so I'm going to rank his filmography from least good to most good.

11. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) - 7/10 (B-)

The trilogy capper for Nolan's Batman trilogy is filled with beautiful moments, from Bruce Wayne's return to an ingenious ending filled with ambiguity. However, this has always been my least favorite Nolan film because of the number of logical issues and plot contrivances.

I know it's a movie about a man who dresses as a bat and fights crime, but there are many problems. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character serves no purpose until the end of the film, and the first hour of the movie follows Bruce learning to become Batman again. After his back is broken, he must learn to become Batman again, and it just feels very repetitive.

It isn't a bad film, but the flaws stick with me much more in this film.

10. Following (1998) - 8/10 (B)

Nolan's very first theatrically released feature film is Following, a black-and-white noir thriller which Nolan created on a $6,000 budget. It's a low-quality film, which was unavoidable given their lack of resources, but you can see the seeds of Nolan's style in this film.

He perfected his nonlinear narrative and detailed stylings later, but this film contains a fascinating story. It's a unique film that can pull you into the events and the characters, and while you can see the constraints with this film, it's generally a good film.

9. Dunkirk (2017) - 8/10 (B)

With this war film, Nolan crafted a retelling of the Dunkirk evacuation in World War II. While many have this as one of Nolan's best works, it's one of my lower picks because it doesn't explore its characters as well as it could; it's a very grounded, exciting film that focuses on the events and nothing more.

And if I'm honest, this movie is a marvel to behold. It features exhilarating action with practical effects, and the editing of specific sequences in this film are stunning. It's not one of his more memorable films to behold, but it is undoubtedly a feast for the eyes.

8. Tenet (2020) - 8/10 (B+)

Nolan's newest film is this time-bending puzzle filled with exciting action and shocking scenes from a technical standpoint. It's an espionage thriller that offers many mysteries for the audience to decipher and gives us a lot of revelations and surprises throughout its unique narrative.

The issue here is Nolan's ambition, which resulted in a very convoluted plot that is quite impossible to fully understand the first time. However, with a few more viewings and some analysis, this could be looked back upon as one of Nolan's better films with his astounding craft.

7. Batman Begins (2005) - 8/10 (B+)

His first blockbuster was Batman Begins, a superhero origin story with a nonlinear structure and some exciting moments and twists. It brought the franchise back on track after the absurd Batman & Robin, and the casting for every role is perfect.

My issue with this film has always been the direction of the fight scenes, which have many cuts and are a bit too disorienting for my taste, but it remains a wonderful film.

6. The Prestige (2006) - 9/10 (A-)

A thrilling tale of dueling magicians is told perfectly by Nolan, who crafts this narrative like a magician creates a magic trick. The opening narration tells us the three parts of a magic trick are the pledge, the turn, and the prestige, and the structure of the film is the same.

It's a well-acted, dark story about obsession and how it can consume us. And the final twist of the film is one that makes every repeat viewing mean so much more. Overall, this is a genius piece of work that gets better with every watch.

5. Insomnia (2002) - 9/10 (A-)

Possibly Nolan's most underrated work is this crime thriller, which he did not write himself. This movie stars Al Pacino as a detective who must uncover a mystery as he battles a personal demon, and it is a captivating story.

The characters see themselves in each other, and it's a film that flew under the radar and is generally forgotten by Nolan fans. Still, it is a thrilling story that manages to be original and well-directed.

4. Interstellar (2014) - 9/10 (A)

Many consider this to be one of Nolan's greatest works, and I wholeheartedly agree. This is a film about love that transcends time and space, and it is a heartbreaking movie filled with fantastic visuals and characters.

It's undoubtedly Nolan's most emotional film with tear-jerking scenes and a story that uses time dilation to create a tale that can resonate with many.

3. Inception (2010) - 10/10 (A+)

What is the most resilient parasite? This is a question that Leonardo Dicaprio's character poses at the beginning of the film before answering it: an idea. And I don't know how Nolan came up with the idea for this film, but I'm glad he did.

It's a sci-fi action epic that involves going into dreams and dreams within those dreams to create a beautiful story of overcoming our demons and repairing our relationships. It's exciting, fast-paced, and the visual effects are stunning.

2. Memento (2000) - 10/10 (A+)

Nolan's film that put him on the map as a filmmaker is this twisting, turning crime thriller that keeps your eyes locked on the screen from start to finish. The film features color scenes shown in reverse chronological order intercut with black and white scenes in chronological order.

This gives us the feeling of short-term memory loss, which the protagonist of the film has. It's an exciting film that asks questions and answers them to perfection with a dark ending that I often rewatch to become inspired to make stories of my own.

1. The Dark Knight (2008) - 10/10 (A+)

Possibly my most popular and widely shared opinion is my opinion that The Dark Knight is Nolan's best film. The middle chapters in a trilogy aren't always the best, but this film is fantastic, offering great scene after great scene.

Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker is iconic, and all of the characters are so well-realized in the way they communicate with each other. It has thrilling action, and the movie's ending could be the most emotional ending we've seen from him.

Overall, this is my favorite Nolan film, but the man is a legend, so I love all his movies to some degree.

What are your thoughts? Let me know on Twitter. I'm @TheJonathanSim.