Top 5 Christopher Nolan films to watch ahead of the release of Oppenheimer

Memento (2000)

One of Nolan’s first films and certainly one of his best, even almost 25 years later. Starring Guy Pierce, this mystery thriller plays backwards as we are introduced to a man named Leonard Shelby who has amnesia, resulting in short-term memory loss and the inability to form new memories following the murder of his wife. In order to capture the man who took his wife – and life – from him, he uses Polaroid photographs, handwritten notes, and tattoos to track information he won't remember as he goes in search of the killer.

The Prestige (2006)

The clown mask worn by actor Heath Ledger in the 2008 film The Dark Knight is on display at the DC Comics Exhibition. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

The fifth film from Nolan is another of his lesser-known but much-loved films. Starring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as rival stage magicians in London, the film tracks their long running feud over a teleportation trick.

The Dark Knight (2008)

One of the British directors most loved films is also arguably his best. The second film in his Dark Knight trilogy introduced us to the late Heath Ledger’s legendary role as Batman villain the Joker. A masterpiece that really put Nolan into the higher echelons of the cinema world.

Inception (2010)

Admittedly one of his films that produces a ‘Marmite’ reaction, Inception has a stellar cast that is headed by Leonardo DiCaprio, Cillian Murphy and Elliot Page and throws the viewer into the world of Dom Cobb (DiCaprio) – a man who steals information by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets via the medium of dreams. It can be confusing but it is entertaining all the same.

Interstellar (2014)

With Nolan heading down the science fiction route around a decade ago, Interstellar became his next big blockbuster epic and stars Matthew McConaughey in the lead role. The film takes the viewer into a dystopian future that has sees humanity hit hard by famine. In order to search for a new home, astronauts attempt to travel through a wormhole close to Saturn.