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Christopher Nolan’s nuclear biopicOppenheimeris set to premiere in July, and anticipation is steadily building. It looks like the perfect project for Nolan (especially after the somewhat lacklusterTenet), combining science, war, and a flawed, compelling hero. It’ll also see the director reuniting with starCillian Murphyand cinematographerHoyte van Hoytema, alongside first-time collaboratorsEmily BluntandRobert Downey Jr.
To prepare forOppenheimer, Nolan’s fans can take a deep dive into the ever-increasing stack of movies he’s recommended over the years (viaIndieWireand other sources noted below). Like his own filmography, Nolan’s favorites tend to deal with complex ideas, non-linear storytelling, and mind-bending visuals, usually made with practical effects. They range from horror to anime to foreign drama, including box-office flops and forgotten gems.
Updated on July 03, 2025, by Hannah Saab:
Nolan’s latest film,Oppenheimer, was a critical and commercial success. As fans look through the director’s filmography, it’s the perfect time to revisit some of his highly recommended films.
15’The Black Hole' (1979)
The Black Holeis a sci-fi about a crew that discovers a missing spaceship near a black hole. It was essentially Disney’s attempt to jump on theStar Warshype with a space opera of their own, although it doesn’t come close toGeorge Lucas' work. Nevertheless, Nolan remains a big fan.
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“Even to a nine-year-oldStar Warsfanatic this seemed pretty uneven, but some of the special effects still impress, and it boasts one of the most unexpectedly weird climaxes in cinema history,“Nolanhas said. “I actually had to rent it as an adult just to check that I hadn’t made up the whole ending.”
Watch on Disney+
14’Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence' (1983)
David Bowiestars inthis WWII drama moviefrom directorNagisa Ōshimaabout a British soldier held captive in a Japanese POW camp.Ryuichi Sakamoto, also a musician, plays the camp’s commander. Through the main characters, the film explores issues of culture clash and contrasting views about honor.
Ōshima was a leading figure in the Japanese New Wave, responsible for films includingIn the Realm of the SensesandThe Ceremony.Nolan praised Ōshima for fully utilizing Bowie’s charisma in this film, which inspired him to cast Bowie inThe Prestige.
Watch on The Criterion Channel
Art Garfunkel,Theresa RussellandHarvey Keitelstar in this psychological thriller. It documents the tempestuous relationship between Milena and Alex, two young Americans in Vienna. A detective pieces together the events following Milena’s suicide attempt.
Bad Timingis directed byNicolas Roeg, who also made the horrorDon’t Look Now, starringDonald SutherlandandJulie Christie. Roeg’s work, particularly its jarring, impactful editing, has been cited as an influence by not just Nolan, but also directorsSteven Soderbergh,Danny BoyleandEdgar Wright.
12’Topkapi' (1964)
This must-see heist film centers on a plot to steal an emerald-encrusted dagger from an old palace in Istanbul. Seemingly-ordinary woman Elizabeth (Melina Mercouri) enlists her criminal former lover Walter (Maximillian Schell) for the scam, and gets mixed up with a gang of thieves.
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Topkapiis not as good as directorJules Dassin’s noir classicRififi, but it’ll appeal to fans of crime capers, or someone looking for a ’60s nostalgia trip. Nolan has said that he’s a fan ofPeter Ustinov’s performance as small-time hustler Arthur Simpson, for which Ustinov won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.
Watch on Pluto
11’The Hit' (1984)
Two hitmen transport a criminal (Terence Stamp) to his execution ten years after he ratted out the mob. But things do not go as planned.The Hitisa crime road filmfrom directorStephen Frears, who made the social thrillerDirty Pretty Thingsand the comedy-dramaPhilomenastarringJudi DenchandSteve Coogan.
Nolan praisedThe Hitas a story about what desperate men are capable of.John Hurtis great as hitman Braddock, as isTim Rothas his sidekick Myron, in his film debut. The cinematography byMike Molloy, all bleak landscapes and catastrophic interiors, adds to the intensity.
10’Mr. Arkadin' (1955)
Mr. Arkadinis one ofOrson Welles' lesser-known films. LikeCitizen Kane, it revolves around an enigmatic tycoon, played by Welles (with epic facial hair) who blackmails an American businessman called Zouk (Akim Tamiroff). A small-time smuggler (Robert Arden) warns Zouk about a plot against him, which unfolds into a larger Cold War tale. While decidedly uneven, Nolan has said that the film contains “heartbreaking glimpses of the great man’s genius.” There are various versions ofMr. Arkadinfloating around, but the Criterion edit released in 2006 is probably the best.
Interesting bit of trivia: this was the film that made the parable of the scorpion and the frog famous in the English-speaking world. Prior to this, the story was known only in Russia. In the story, a scorpion asks a frog for a ride across a stream, promising not to sting him. During the journey, the scorpion stings the frog. When the frog asks why, the scorpion replies that it is in his nature.
Watch on Max
9’Insomnia' (1997)
Insomniaisa Norwegian psychological thrillerabout a detective (Stellan Skarsgård) attempting to solve a murder while suffering from insomnia. His sanity rapidly frays as he wades deeper into the case. The film deals with themes of guilt, redemption, and the blurred line between right and wrong. It’s like a late 20th-centuryCrime and Punishment, set in the Arctic Circle.
It was the basis for Nolan’s English remake, released in 2002, the only instance where he’s reworked an existing film. “It was liberating in a lot of ways because you’re able to just engage with the material as a director,“Nolansaid. “You’re coming into it at a later stage, so you’re given a quite effective, objective view of the material before you dive in. On the other hand, you inherit a lot of problems from somebody else’s brain.”
8’The Comb' (1991)
The Combis an exquisitely dark stop-motion short by animatorsStephenandTimothy Quay. It’s more of a tone poem than a conventional narrative, with a premium on unsettling imagery. Nolan is a massive fan of the Quays. He made a documentary short exploring their creative process, and in 2015, he curated a screening ofThe Combalongside two of the Quays' most well-known films,Street of CrocodilesandIn Absentia.
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“What I love about these three films and the reason I chose these three in particular out of all of [the Quays'] work, is that they have a particular organic quality,“Nolansaid. “They don’t feel accidental, but they feel like they were informed by accident.”
7’The Hitcher' (1986)
The Hitcheris a horror directed byRobert Harmon. While driving cross-country, Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) picks up a hitchhiker named John Ryder (Rutger Hauer). Ryder turns out to be a sadistic killer, and Jim becomes the target of his twisted games. It’s kind of like a response toSteven Spielberg’sDuel.
“As a teenager, I never questioned the logic of this 80’s chiller, but now it seems mind-bendingly arbitrary plot-wise,“Nolansays. “However, it does feature the criminally underappreciated Rutger Hauer in his finest and most influential Euro-psycho performance this side ofBlade Runner.”
6’Woman in the Moon' (1929)
Woman in the Moonis an early sci-fi by legendary Austrian directorFritz Lang. It follows a group of scientists who journey to the moon in search of gold. The film is notable for its more realistic portrayal of space travel, especially in contrast to other sci-fi of that area, likeGeorges Méliès’Trip to the Moon.
The film also introduced ideas like a multi-stage rocket, a rocket launchpad, and a countdown clock ticking toward launch.Nolanhas said that Lang’s work was an influence onInterstellar. He’s also a big admirer of Lang’s other filmsMetropolisandThe Testament of Dr. Mabuse.Nolanhas said that he forced his brother to watch the latter before writing the Joker inThe Dark Knight.
