what movies has christopher nolan directed

Christopher Nolan has directed 13 major feature films so far, from his micro- budget debut in 1998 up to his recent epic biopic and beyond.

Quick Scoop: Nolan’s Directed Movies

Here’s the core list of widely recognized feature films Christopher Nolan has directed, in release order.

Following (1998) – Tight, low‑budget neo‑noir about a writer who follows strangers.

Memento (2000) – Puzzle‑box thriller told in a fragmented, reverse chronology.

Insomnia (2002) – Remake of a Norwegian thriller; a detective investigates a murder in sun‑drenched Alaska.

Batman Begins (2005) – Dark, grounded reboot of the Batman mythos with Christian Bale.

The Prestige (2006) – Rival magicians in Victorian England wage a deadly feud over the ultimate illusion.

The Dark Knight (2008) – Crime saga featuring Heath Ledger’s iconic Joker; often cited as one of the greatest superhero films.

Inception (2010) – Mind‑bending heist inside dreams, blending action and philosophical sci‑fi.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012) – Epic conclusion to the Batman trilogy with Bane as the primary antagonist.

Interstellar (2014) – Space odyssey about a father, his daughter, and humanity’s search for a new home.

Dunkirk (2017) – World War II evacuation story told across land, sea, and air with intersecting timelines.

Tenet (2020) – Spy thriller built around time‑inversion, where cause and effect fold back on themselves.

Oppenheimer (2023) – Biographical drama about J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project; the film won Best Picture and Nolan won Best Director.

The Odyssey (2026) – A large‑scale adaptation of Homer’s epic, with Matt Damon as Odysseus.

Several sources also highlight Nolan’s short film Doodlebug (1997), but it’s usually listed separately from his feature filmography.

Mini Sections: Themes & Eras

Early indie and breakout era (1998–2002)

Following and Memento built Nolan’s reputation for nonlinear storytelling and psychological mystery on small budgets.

Insomnia showed he could handle Hollywood stars and studio scale while keeping a moody, character‑driven focus.

The Batman and prestige era (2005–2012)

With Batman Begins , The Dark Knight , and The Dark Knight Rises , Nolan reshaped superhero cinema into grounded crime epics.

The Prestige sits in the middle of this run, often praised for its twisty plot and obsessive characters.

Big‑idea sci‑fi and war (2010–2020)

Inception and Interstellar mix emotional stories with brain‑teasing concepts like dream heists and black‑hole time dilation.

Dunkirk and Tenet push formal experimentation: fragmented timelines in war, and time‑inversion in espionage.

Recent epics (2023–2026)

Oppenheimer marked Nolan’s move into historical biography, blending courtroom drama, science, and politics.

The Odyssey continues his streak of large‑scale, ambitious adaptations, this time drawing on ancient myth.

HTML Table: Nolan’s Directed Feature Films

Because you asked for structured info and quick scanning, here’s the filmography as an HTML table (features only). Data like year and brief notes come from publicly available filmography and fan lists.

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Year</th>
      <th>Title</th>
      <th>Type</th>
      <th>Notes</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>1998</td>
      <td>Following</td>
      <td>Feature</td>
      <td>Neo-noir thriller; Nolan’s ultra-low-budget debut.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2000</td>
      <td>Memento</td>
      <td>Feature</td>
      <td>Psychological thriller told in reverse-chronology fragments.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2002</td>
      <td>Insomnia</td>
      <td>Feature</td>
      <td>Crime thriller remake set in Alaska, starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2005</td>
      <td>Batman Begins</td>
      <td>Feature</td>
      <td>Origin story reboot of Batman with Christian Bale.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2006</td>
      <td>The Prestige</td>
      <td>Feature</td>
      <td>Drama/mystery about rival magicians in Victorian England.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2008</td>
      <td>The Dark Knight</td>
      <td>Feature</td>
      <td>Crime epic with Batman vs. Joker; widely acclaimed superhero film.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2010</td>
      <td>Inception</td>
      <td>Feature</td>
      <td>Heist film set inside shared dreams and layered subconscious worlds.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2012</td>
      <td>The Dark Knight Rises</td>
      <td>Feature</td>
      <td>Final chapter of Nolan’s Batman trilogy featuring Bane.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2014</td>
      <td>Interstellar</td>
      <td>Feature</td>
      <td>Space exploration epic about saving humanity and a father–daughter bond.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2017</td>
      <td>Dunkirk</td>
      <td>Feature</td>
      <td>World War II film about the Dunkirk evacuation told via intersecting timelines.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2020</td>
      <td>Tenet</td>
      <td>Feature</td>
      <td>Time-inversion spy thriller with complex temporal mechanics.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2023</td>
      <td>Oppenheimer</td>
      <td>Feature</td>
      <td>Biopic of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2026</td>
      <td>The Odyssey</td>
      <td>Feature</td>
      <td>Adaptation of Homer’s epic poem, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus.</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Forum & Trending Context

In film forums and ranking lists, Nolan’s work is frequently debated, especially around:

Which film is his “best” (often The Dark Knight , Inception , or Interstellar).

How his complex timelines and plotting affect rewatch value.

Whether his move from superheroes to biopics like Oppenheimer shows him shifting toward more historical and awards‑oriented projects.

You’ll often see posts like:

“Every Nolan film feels like a different way of bending time or perspective, from Memento to Tenet.”

Since Oppenheimer swept major awards and The Odyssey is a fresh 2026 release, discussions right now tend to compare his earlier, more puzzle‑like thrillers to these grand historical and mythological epics.

TL;DR

Christopher Nolan has directed 13 major feature films, starting with Following and Memento , through the Batman trilogy and big sci‑fi like Inception and Interstellar , up to Oppenheimer and his newest epic, The Odyssey.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.