Having established himself as one of Hollywood’s most unique and celebrated directors,Christopher Nolanhas delivered one masterpiece after another in the past two decades. In each of his movies, there is a complex story and a bunch of recurring elements that fans have come to expect from Nolan.
FromMemento’smind-bending narrative toInception’sdream worlds, fromThe Dark Night’snoir-ish takeon superheroes toOppenheimer’scerebral take on a true story, Nolan’s movies have always challenged traditional storytelling and instead focused on crafting visually stunning puzzle pieces that not only fascinate the audiences but also have them invested.
In true Nolan fashion, all these movies are led bythe industry’s greatest actors– Christian Bale, Guy Pearce, Heath Ledger, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, and Leonardo DiCaprio. But that is not the only formula that simplifies his cinema. While no two Nolan movies look or feel the same, there are parallels like memorable musical cues to deceptive storytelling in the director’s works that make it more Nolan-esque. So read on and discover the 20 things that happen in every Christopher Nolan movie.
17An Iconic Wristwatch Shot
More Than Just an Accessory
An interesting trait seen in Christopher Nolan’s movies is the insertion of close-up shots of a wristwatch into key moments that build tension around time or foreshadow major plot points. In these scenes, watches are more than just mere accessories. They are a subtle cue, reminding viewers of how a situation may not be entirely what it seems.
InMemento, Leonard’s wristwatch appears as a recurring motif that represents his fractured memory and his uncertain grasp on the order of events. In Nolan’s time-twisting espionage thriller,Tenet, the Protagonist wears a uniquely designed watch with a digital display. The watch becomes an essential tool for understanding the film’s action sequences, as well as its time-travel trajectory.
16The Intense Moment of Silence
A Quiet That Speaks Louder Than Words
Few movies manage touse long moments of silenceto their benefit. Nolan has the ability to draw suspense out of pauses, letting the quiet speak louder than words. These moments of utter stillness, where either a scene plays out on the screen or a protagonist observing something, has the viewer experiencing a swirl of emotions.
InInterstellar, Cooper shares a profound yet wordless goodbye with his daughter Murph through a bookshelf doorway. The silence in the scene echoes, it envelops us to the point where we understand the meaning of simplicity.
Even inInception, when Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) spins his totem and waits for it to waver, the room holds its breath. The audiences lean forward in anticipation and are met with Nolan’s signature way of conveying complexity.
15A Deceptive Story
All Is Not as it Seems
More often than not, Christopher Nolan introduces an unreliable narrator in his movie to make sure the audiences are invested in the story. The director simply wants to toy with us by planting clues in our heads that suggest a certain character or scenario is two-dimensional. But in reality, he is building a gap between perception and truth and leaving it upon a puzzling, intricate, and bewitching story to bridge that gap.
The PrestigeandInceptionare two ideal examples. In both movies, the protagonists are professional liars and their job is to deceive those around them. The former uses magic tricks before eventually revealing the truth about how it was done, and the latter leads us to believe that what we’re watchingmay not be the truth after all, before the screen cuts to black and we’re left speechless. Even Bane suggests inThe Dark Knightthat he relies on “theatricality and deception.”
14Non-Stop Information Dump
The More You Know
Science fiction movies are tricky business because they incorporate mind-bending concepts few audiences are unfamiliar with. Now, Nolan fans have already come to expect dense blocks of information to be thrown at them in movies. Whether the scene is a hallucinatory briefing or a strategy session, Nolan manages to multitask and create an intricately built world where there are sensible explanations as well as pulse-pounding action.
While information dumps usually bore the audiences, Nolan’s movies hold a breadcrumb of cosmic truth in them. He believes that these pieces of knowledge are best digested when blended with dynamic visuals. That’s why, even though the first half ofInceptionis just talking, you feel yourself drawn by the stylish characters delivering monologues, by a witty comeback or two, and well-composed backdrops.
Related:The Best Monologues in Movies, Ranked
13Makes References to James Bond
Shaken, Not Stirred
Bond is a sophisticated spy with a license to thrill, and one would never get tired of referencing or mentioning him. Nolan does not mimic the hero, but he remixes some Bond-esque moments into pivotal scenes and makes them unforgettable. Picture Cobb in a tuxedo as he infiltrates a dream or Michael Caine, while in a conversation with Bruce in an underground bat cave, quipping “Some men just want to watch the world burn.”
A lover of British spy films himself, Nolan’s idea of sending subtle nods to 007 throughout his work is quite impressive. Apart from the physical traits such as skilled men in well-tailored suits, and the use of stylish cars and guns as they bury their emotions deep inside their subconscious, as seen inTenet, Nolan’s movies also incorporate subtle moments that Bond would approve of. For instance, once you find yourself understandingInception, you realize the movie is about more than just dreams.
12The Most Unexpected Plot Twists
More Than Just a Twist
Nolan’s plot twistsaren’t mere swerves in the road; they are quantum leaps. He is a master of jaw-dropping reveals that alter your understanding of anything and everything that came before. For instance, towards the end ofFollowing, Nolan’s feature directorial debut, the protagonist is framed for murder. Or inMemento, the revelation that Leonard himself is the killer he’s looking for comes as a shock.
Even inThe Prestige, Angier’s final reveal, the mention of clones reveals a magician’s skill to deceive and sends the audiences rewinding their memories and trying to grasp the truth.
Even some seemingly straightforward movies likeOppenheimerhold plot twists that are profoundly unexpected and multi-layered. With Nolan, the concept of truth is a mirage, which is how he manages to stay one step ahead all the time.
11Stories Grounded in Realism
Real Science Even in Fictional Films
Nolan’s canvas throughout his career has harbored imaginative fantasies and sci-fi premises. And yet, the director’s works are driven by a devotion to accuracy. With gritty and tangible brush strokes, he immerses viewers into worlds that seem more real than dreamt up. In his eyes, Gotham isn’t a comic book; it is Chicago with a brooding skyline. His take on Batman was also comparatively grounded.
Dunkirkis amovie that’s heavy on realism. He cushions the harrowing event with authentic production values. Whether it’s little details like soldiers gasping for air, or bigger moments like the clock ticking as they wait to be rescued, the story is about ordinary men clinging to life.
His latest movie,Oppenheimer, also balances realism and psychological thrills equally. Due to his desire to make it as realistic as possible, Nolan also used real scientists as extras in the movie.
10Epic Visual Scale
A Dream-Like Visual Buffet
It goes without saying that Christopher Nolan’s movies are spectacular in scope. They’re lauded not just for storytelling, but also for technical achievements. From portraying stretches of interstellar gulfs to forging new stylistic visuals of familiar settings, he uses the visuals to amplify emotional stakes and psychological danger. ThinkThe Dark Knight’scrashing ferries and collapsing hospitals. Their visuals were so brilliant that they make you feel like you’re in there with the rubble.
While movies like Inception rely more on architectural set pieces and how they fold into themselves and transform into dreamlike vistas, and those likeInterstellartransport you into an alien realm and a well-lit cosmos, Nolan’sDunkirk, too, has an array of skillful wide shots that place viewers in the midst of history. The technical work that goes into Nolan’s movies is the reason why he is so celebrated today.
9Mysterious Women Haunting Dreams
Shaping the Fates of the Protagonist
Another thing that happens in every Christopher Nolan movie is the existence of a woman lingering in the subconscious memory of our protagonist. Nolan’s movies are known to fail the Bechdel test, which requires a movie to have two named female characters, and a scene where they talk about anything other than men. Instead, the director uses female figures as individuals who shape the fates of the main characters by haunting their dreams.
InMemento, Leonard is emotionally manipulated by the memories of his dead wife, and inInception, Mal dances on the corners of Cobb’s wife. She haunts him by appearing in his subconscious, turning it into a haunted house, and altering his perception of reality. Nolan also steers away from the source material ofThe Prestigeby including not one, but two dead wives in the movie. These women are mysterious, malicious, and unpredictable.
Related:The 10 Best Female Action Movie Stars of All Time
8Use of Clever Ciphers
A Look from Every Angle
Many of Christopher Nolan’s movies are like puzzles waiting to be pieced together. Basically, he takes a single idea and then approaches it from every possible angle, and the end result is an enigma by itself. He fabricates a story so concealed in clues, with his characters speaking in riddles, that the audience feels compelled to find answers. Hidden in layers of dreams and schemes are clever ciphers.
Looking at a couple of examples, we haveThe Prestige, where Borden’s twin act is a cipher within a cipher, with them having perfected each other’s lives to the T on and off-stage.Tenetalso follows the Protagonist deciphering inverted bullets and palindromic phrases. Using elements like diaries, tattoos, safety boxes, and puzzles, Nolan deliberately fashions a narrative that is ambiguous and leaves it for the audience to interpret.
