Christopher Nolan has directed thirteen feature films, from the low-budget Following (1998) to The Odyssey (2026). Below, all of them are listed in release order, so it’s easy to see how the director’s budgets, formats and themes have changed. For each film you get a spoiler-free plot summary and a few facts from Wikipedia pages checked on October 14, 2026.
According to Wikipedia, Nolan favors analog cameras and IMAX, co-wrote several scripts with his brother Jonathan, and runs the production company Syncopy with his wife, Emma Thomas. His films have grossed more than eight billion dollars worldwide.
Following
Nolan’s directorial debut: a neo-noir about a young writer who follows strangers around the streets of London and gets drawn into the criminal underworld. Nolan wrote, shot and edited the film himself. It was filmed on weekends over the course of a year on 16 mm film; according to Wikipedia, the budget was only $6,000. The premiere took place on April 24, 1998, in San Francisco.
Memento
A man who is unable to form new memories hunts for his wife’s killer with the help of photographs, notes and tattoos. The film is based on Jonathan Nolan’s short story “Memento Mori” and tells its story along two lines: black-and-white moving forward and color moving in reverse. After its premiere in Venice on September 5, 2000, the film received Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing.
Memento2000 · crimeWhere to watch and the card →Insomnia
A remake of the 1997 Norwegian film: two detectives from Los Angeles investigate a murder in Alaska. Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank star. It is Nolan’s first film for the studio Warner Bros.; according to Wikipedia, it grossed $113.8 million on a $46 million budget.
Batman Begins
A reboot of the Batman series: the story of Bruce Wayne from the death of his parents to his first suit. Nolan wrote the script together with David S. Goyer, and Christian Bale plays the lead. Filming took place in the UK, Iceland and Chicago, and computer graphics were used minimally. The film grossed more than $375.6 million on a $150 million budget and received an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography.
Batman Begins2005 · actionWhere to watch and the card →The Prestige
Two illusionists in Victorian London compete over the best teleportation trick. The film is based on Christopher Priest’s 1995 novel; Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale star, and David Bowie plays Nikola Tesla. According to Wikipedia, the film grossed $109 million on a $40 million budget.
The Prestige2006 · dramaWhere to watch and the card →The Dark Knight
Batman, police officer Gordon and prosecutor Harvey Dent try to break organized crime in Gotham, but the Joker appears in their path. It was the first major film to use high-resolution IMAX cameras. Heath Ledger was posthumously awarded the Oscar, the BAFTA and the Golden Globe for his supporting role, and the film became the first comic-book movie to win such major acting awards.
The Dark Knight2008 · actionWhere to watch and the card →Inception
A professional thief steals secrets from the subconscious, but he is offered the opposite task: to plant an idea. Nolan submitted an 80-page proposal to Warner Bros. right after Insomnia, but put the project on hold; the studio bought it in February 2009. The film grossed $839 million and won four Oscars: for cinematography, sound editing, sound mixing and visual effects.
Inception2010 · actionWhere to watch and the card →The Dark Knight Rises
The final part of the trilogy: eight years after the events of the previous film, Bruce Wayne, who has retired, is forced to return when the terrorist Bane threatens Gotham. A large part of the film was shot on 70 mm IMAX cameras. According to Wikipedia, it grossed $1.085 billion and became the highest-grossing Batman film.
The Dark Knight Rises2012 · actionWhere to watch and the card →Interstellar
A space drama about a group of astronauts searching for a new home for humanity, because crop failures are hitting Earth. The scientific consultant and executive producer was physicist Kip Thorne. The film was shot on 35 mm film and IMAX 70 mm; it received five Oscar nominations and won for visual effects.
Interstellar2014 · adventureWhere to watch and the card →Dunkirk
The evacuation of Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk, shown from three perspectives: land, sea and air. There is little dialogue; the tension is created by the images and the music. The film grossed more than $530 million and received eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, winning three: for film editing, sound editing and sound mixing.
Dunkirk2017 · dramaWhere to watch and the card →Tenet
A film about objects moving backward in time and an agent who investigates their origin. It is Nolan’s last film for Warner Bros.: after it, the director left the studio over its policy on streaming releases and signed a deal with Universal. Tenet became the first Hollywood blockbuster to reach cinemas during the pandemic and won an Oscar for visual effects.
Tenet2020 · actionWhere to watch and the card →Oppenheimer
A biographical thriller about physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who led the development of the first nuclear weapon, and about the 1954 security hearings. The film opened on July 21, 2023, the same day as Barbie, which gave rise to the phenomenon “Barbenheimer”. It received thirteen Oscar nominations and won seven, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor (Cillian Murphy); it grossed more than $983 million.
Oppenheimer2023 · biographyWhere to watch and the card →The Odyssey
A film adaptation of Homer’s epic poem: after the Trojan War, Odysseus, king of Ithaca, makes his long and dangerous way home. Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya and Charlize Theron star. It is the first feature film shot entirely on IMAX 70 mm cameras. The premiere took place on July 6, 2026, in London; the film opened in the US and UK on July 17. According to Wikipedia, it grossed $1.783 billion, the most of any Nolan film.
The Odyssey2026 · actionWhere to watch and the card →Where to start with Nolan
Release order is not a required viewing order, except for the Batman trilogy. Below are a few mood-based picks.
| What you feel like | What to pick |
|---|---|
| The most famous and dynamic | Inception, The Dark Knight |
| Space science fiction | Interstellar |
| A puzzle about memory | Memento |
| History and real events | Dunkirk, Oppenheimer |
| A film about time | Tenet |
| Myths and adventure | The Odyssey |
For Tenet and other films where time is the main character, read our selection of time travel films. And if you like the space science fiction of Interstellar, check out classic science fiction worth knowing: it collects the classics that people still look back on today.
Tip. It’s best to watch the Batman trilogy in release order: The Dark Knight is a sequel to Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight Rises completes the story. The other films can be watched in any order.
Frequently asked questions
How many feature films has Christopher Nolan directed?
Thirteen: from Following (1998) to The Odyssey (2026), as listed on Wikipedia pages as of October 14, 2026.
Do I need to watch the Batman trilogy in order?
It’s best to. The Dark Knight is a sequel to Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight Rises completes the trilogy, so the story is clearest in release order: 2005, 2008, 2012.
Which Nolan film has grossed the most?
According to Wikipedia, as of October 14, 2026, it is The Odyssey ($1.783 billion). The second highest-grossing is The Dark Knight Rises ($1.085 billion).
Where can I watch Nolan’s films?
Streaming catalogs change, so we don’t list them. Check the film’s page on a service available to you; each film’s card on our site also has a “Where to watch” block.
Sources
- Christopher Nolan (Wikipedia)
- Christopher Nolan filmography (Wikipedia)
- Following (film) (Wikipedia)
- Oppenheimer (film) (Wikipedia)
- The Odyssey (2026 film) (Wikipedia)
Data was checked against live Wikipedia pages on October 14, 2026.
Discussion