July 17, 2026 — 11:58amEvery film from Christopher Nolan now carries high expectations.Sci-fi, superheroes, World War II, heavyweight drama … the celebrated British director has brought a fierce intelligence, towering ambition and seriousness of intent to a dozen films that have between them taken more than $US6 billion ($8.5 billion) at the box office and won 18 Oscars.Clockwise from top left: Matthew McConaughey in Interstellar, Christian Bale as Batman in The Dark Knight trilogy, Guy Pearce in Memento and Leonardo DiCaprio, with Matt Damon (centre) in The Odyssey. Jamie BrownHis previous film, Oppenheimer, sounded like a difficult sell to audiences who loved his Dark Knight trilogy or the dreamscape paradoxes of Inception. But a complex, slow-burning, dialogue-heavy three-hour film turned out to be as gripping as it was inventive. Critics raved and it took a stunning $US976 million in cinemas.Christopher Nolan at the Indian premiere of The Odyssey, in Mumbai on July 11.Getty ImagesSo it’s no surprise for The Odyssey, which has just opened in cinemas, Nolan made an ancient Greek epic with a budget of $US250 million as the first feature film shot entirely on large-screen IMAX cameras.While some viewers consider his movies confusing, detached and too lacking in strong female characters, “Christopher Nolan” is now a brand that attracts an audience.But how does his 13th film compare with the first dozen?To rank them, I looked for what was weakest in well-liked movies and give extra credit for originality, inventiveness, boldness, cultural impact and contribution to the art of cinema. But it’s a subjective exercise given the movie that starts this countdown was named Nolan’s best by a British newspaper a few years ago.Here’s how I rank them.13. The Prestige (2006)While it has many fans, this moody drama that had Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as rival stage magicians, and Piper Perabo and Scarlett Johansson as their assistants, in 1890s London now feels like a clever cinematic magic trick with too many twists and turns.12. Following (1998)Nolan’s debut feature film was a clever black and white crime thriller about a young writer (Jeremy Theobald) who follows people around London. It revealed Nolan’s talent for originality, clever storytelling and visual style. While an excellent ultra-low-budget film, it was still constrained by being an ultra-low-budget film.11. Insomnia (2002)This remake of a Norwegian film follows a veteran LA cop, played by Al Pacino, who can’t sleep for days while investigating a murder in the perpetual daylight of small-town Alaska. With more clever storytelling with strong performances, it’s only so low on the list for its relatively low profile compared to other Nolan films.10. Tenet (2020)There was a lot to admire about Nolan’s version of a Bond movie, an espionage thriller with a complex premise about an apocalyptic threat from the future that involves time being reversed. It was an ambitious experience with some spectacular action scenes that aimed to revive cinemas after the pandemic. But it was challenging to understand on first viewing. And even on the second, it felt too complex.9. Interstellar (2014)Nolan shot for the stars with a thought-provoking and ambitious sci-fi movie about the crew of a spaceship seeking a future for humanity – starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain – but the extended length and scientific complexity dampened the emotional impact.8. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)The epic conclusion to Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy has been his biggest box office hit, taking more than $US1 billion. Christian Bale was Bruce Wayne and Batman, Hathaway was Catwoman and Tom Hardy was Bane in a darkly political superhero movie. Watched again now, the long, complicated and bombastic climax detracts from the humanity and emotion.7. The Dark Knight (2008)The second of Nolan’s Batman movies was elevated by an exceptional, Oscar-winning performance by Heath Ledger as the Joker and some epic action scenes. A dark love triangle for Bruce Wayne – involving Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) – set up Batman’s alienation for the third instalment without being especially convincing.6. Batman Begins (2005)Nolan revived Batman at the movies with an origin story grounded in a much more real – and dark – world, giving him a refreshing humanity for a comic book superhero, backed up by warm performances from Bale, Katie Holmes, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman.5. Memento (2000)Guy Pearce played an insurance investigator with no short-term memory who wants revenge for his wife’s death in one of the great cinematic experiments – dual stories in colour and in black and white that travel forwards and backwards to reflect his fragmented experience of the world. The director’s breakthrough movie still feels fresh, original and dazzlingly creative.4. Inception (2010)Epic and imaginative, this sci-fi thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard was a rare blockbuster for its originality – matching intriguing ideas with a dream-within-a-dream-within-a-dream framework and a pitch-perfect spinning top final moment. It has only improved with time.3. The Odyssey (2026)An epic adventure drama about Greek hero Odysseus (Matt Damon) making his way home to Ithaca after the Trojan War – facing mythic creatures and challenges – to see his besieged wife Penelope (Hathaway) and yearning son Telemachus (Tom Holland). Based on a first viewing – and I’m keen to watch it again – Nolan has carried off a difficult-to-adapt story with spectacular ambition and heart.2. Dunkirk (2017)A masterful World War II drama that cleverly immersed viewers in a dangerous and chaotic battlefield with three different timeframes for action on land, sea and air. Instead of focusing on the idealised heroism of the Dunkirk campaign, Nolan showed the desperate reality of trying to survive and the quiet heroism of anonymous participants. From the writing to the casting, acting, cinematography, editing, design and especially music, it is a masterclass in film craft that won three technical Oscars but deserved to win best picture and director instead of The Shape of Water.1. Oppenheimer (2023)Nolan’s epic drama about J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) won seven Oscars including his first two for best picture and director. Based on Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s biography American Prometheus, it showed the intense Oppenheimer leading the Manhattan Project to build the bomb that ended World War II then being vilified and haunted when American politicians decided he was no longer needed.Want to read more about The Odyssey?‘Just a beautiful telling’: The Odyssey hits a homer on opening dayThe Odyssey has been making headlines for months – so what’s the movie actually like?Why is Christopher Nolan such a good director? We asked him (and Matt Damon, and Anne Hathaway, and Michael Caine...)From our partners