Christopher Nolan Movies: Release Order

1999 - 202312 Films27h 22m4.7 Average

Christopher Nolan is one of contemporary cinema's most ambitious and intellectually rigorous filmmakers, known for his intricate plotting, non-linear narratives, and commitment to practical effects over CGI. From his micro-budget debut Following to his blockbuster epics, Nolan consistently challenges audiences with films that reward multiple viewings.

This complete filmography showcases his evolution from indie filmmaker to Hollywood auteur, encompassing his Dark Knight trilogy, original science fiction concepts like Inception and Interstellar, and his recent venture into historical biography with Oppenheimer. Each film demonstrates his fascination with time, memory, and the nature of reality, often told through fractured timelines and unreliable perspectives.

There are 2 other watch orders available – see the links up above.

1
Following poster

Following

19991h 9m4.1
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Jeremy Theobald, Alex Haw, Lucy Russell, John Nolan, Dick Bradsell

An unemployed aspiring writer in London develops a dangerous obsession with following strangers through the city streets, until he encounters a mysterious figure who changes everything.

DramaThriller
2
Memento poster

Memento

20001h 53m5
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Mark Boone Junior, Russ Fega

A man with severe short-term memory loss uses notes, tattoos, and Polaroid photos to hunt for his wife's killer. This psychological thriller tells its story in reverse chronological order, forcing viewers to experience the protagonist's disorienting condition firsthand.

MysteryThriller
3
Insomnia poster

Insomnia

20021h 58m4
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Martin Donovan, Nicky Katt

Two Los Angeles homicide detectives travel to a remote Alaskan town during the endless daylight of summer to investigate a teenage murder case.

ThrillerCrimeDrama
4
Batman Begins poster

Batman Begins

20052h 20m4.6
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman

After witnessing his parents' murder, billionaire Bruce Wayne trains to become a vigilante and returns to Gotham City to fight crime as Batman. He must confront both the city's corruption and a dangerous plot to destroy it entirely.

DramaCrimeAction
5
The Prestige poster

The Prestige

20062h 10m5
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Rebecca Hall

Two rival magicians in Victorian London become locked in an escalating battle of one-upmanship, using increasingly dangerous methods to outdo each other's illusions.

DramaMysteryScience Fiction
6
The Dark Knight poster

The Dark Knight

20082h 32m5
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal

Batman teams up with Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent to take down Gotham's criminal organizations, but their efforts are challenged by the chaotic and unpredictable Joker. The Dark Knight must confront his greatest nemesis in a battle that will test his moral code and push him to his limits.

DramaActionCrimeThriller
7
Inception poster

Inception

20102h 28m5
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy, Elliot Page

A skilled thief who specializes in extracting secrets from people's subconscious minds is tasked with the seemingly impossible job of planting an idea instead of stealing one. This mind-bending heist takes place across multiple layers of dreams within dreams.

ActionScience FictionAdventure
8
The Dark Knight Rises poster

The Dark Knight Rises

20122h 45m4.7
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway

Eight years after taking the blame for Harvey Dent's crimes, Batman emerges from hiding to face Bane, a ruthless terrorist who threatens to destroy Gotham City. The Dark Knight must overcome his past and rally a city that has turned against him to save it from complete annihilation.

ActionCrimeDramaThriller
9
Interstellar poster

Interstellar

20142h 49m5
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain, Casey Affleck

When Earth faces an environmental crisis threatening humanity's survival, a team of explorers ventures through a mysterious wormhole near Saturn to find a new habitable planet for mankind.

AdventureDramaScience Fiction
10
Dunkirk poster

Dunkirk

20171h 47m4.4
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Fionn Whitehead, Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy

Christopher Nolan's intense war epic chronicles the miraculous evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk during World War II. The film unfolds across three interconnected timelines - land, sea, and air - as hundreds of thousands of troops await rescue while under constant enemy fire.

WarActionDrama
11
Tenet poster

Tenet

20202h 30m4.2
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh, Dimple Kapadia

A secret agent embarks on a time-bending mission of international espionage, armed only with the mysterious word "Tenet" as he fights to prevent a global catastrophe.

ActionThrillerScience Fiction
12
Oppenheimer poster

Oppenheimer

20233h 1m4.9
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh

The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer's role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II.

DramaHistory