Waiting to watch Tenet in the theatres? Here are some other Christopher Nolan movies to binge until then

We wouldn’t be exaggerating if we called Hollywood writer-director Christopher Nolan anything short of a magician. The British-American filmmaker’s scripts and movies have never failed to wow the audience and critics alike. 

Nolan likes it large — both his movies and their budget. Best known for his record-breaking The Dark Knight trilogy, he has always challenged his audience to dig deep and think more. 

All Nolan fans know that time has been a big theme across his movies. Unsurprisingly, his latest film Tenet is also seen experimenting with time, taking its characters back and forth, challenging the audience a little more than usual. 

Earlier last year, when the teaser was released, every movie-buff and Nolan-lover had it on their watchlist, unaware of what 2020 held for us. 

In June, it was announced that the film would arrive in theatres on July 31, two weeks after its original release date. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down theatres across the globe, it was obvious that there would be further shifts. After much discussion and dispute, Tenet was released in India on December 4. 

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While some have risked exposure to the virus to watch the film in theatres (yes, Nolan has that kind of power), Tenet made its digital release on December 15 in 4K, as well as DVD and Blu-ray. Fans can now purchase the digital content and watch the film from the safety of their homes. 

However, if you have to enjoy Tenet on the big screen at least once, we suggest you wait it out and binge on some of his other works instead.

Doodlebug (1997) 

Nolan made his first film, a TV short, Tarantella as early as when he was only 17-years-old. While the movie made it only to the television screen, it helped the budding director to experiment by creating more short films. 

In 1997, while studying English Literature at the University of London, Nolan made his first publicly-available film, a three-minutes short Doodlebug. 

A psychological thriller, it is about a man in an unkempt apartment, anxious and paranoid, trying to kill a bug. A closer look at the bug reveals that it is a miniature of the man himself. As time passes by, the bug-like creature resembles the man more and more. 

Right after this, Nolan made his first feature film Following. Watch Doodlebug on YouTube. 

Memento (2000)

Memento is the movie that catapulted Christopher Nolan into the big leagues. Released in 2000, it is said to have been conceptualised by the Nolan brothers (Christopher and Jonathan) during a road trip in 1996. 

Starring Guy Pearce and Carrie-Anne Moss, the psychological thriller is about a man searching for people who attacked him and killed his wife. The man, suffering from anterograde amnesia, uses polaroid pictures and tattoos to track information that he cannot remember (we are not responsible if this reminds you of a certain Bollywood movie). 

Premiered at the Venice Film Festival, Memento received a standing ovation. The film was well-received and nominated for several awards and film festivals, including the Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing. Nolan won the AFI Awards Story of the Year for Memento. 

The film is said to have grossed about $40 million worldwide, as of August 2007. 

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The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2008)

Nolan’s most popular work The Dark Knight Trilogy, which includes Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises, is generally touted as one of the best comic book to movie adaptations by critics and experts alike. 

In fact, the second installment, The Dark Knight is considered to be one of the best movies of its decade. Heath Ledger, who played Joker, won the Academy Award for Best Support Actor for his role. 

This critically acclaimed trilogy is sure to appeal to you even if you are not a fan of superhero movies as Nolan pushes the boundaries of not just the lead Bruce Wayne but also of the antagonists in each film. 

The Prestige (2006) 

Based on a novel of the same name by Christopher Priest, The Prestige stars Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale and received Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction. 

The film follows rival magicians in London obsessed with creating the best stage illusion. It revolves around the two magicians (Jackman and Bale) engaging in competitive one-upmanship with tragic results, touching the themes of obsession, secrecy, and sacrifice. 

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Inception (2010)

You cannot not mention Inception, possibly the most popular Nolan film of all time. The sci-fi action film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, who is a thief with a special ability — enter people’s dreams and steal their secrets. 

Inception won four Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects. 

Interstellar (2014)

Another sci-fi from Nolan, Interstellar follows a group of astronauts travelling through space, searching for a new home for mankind. The film is set in a dystopian future, where humans are struggling to survive. 

Released in 2014, Interstellar won the Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects and was nominated for the Best Original Score, sound mixing, editing and production design. The film is said to have grossed about $677.4 million worldwide, against a production budget of $165 million. 

Dunkirk (2017)

Nolan’s war film Dunkirk depicts the evacuation of World War II, from three perspectives — land, sea, and air. The film is set in 1940s Germany, and Rotten Tomato states it served as an ‘emotionally satisfying spectacle’ by Nolan.

Dunkirk is considered one of Nolan’s most remarkable and classic films of all times. 

The film received eight nominations at the Critics Choice Awards. It is also said to be Nolan's shortest film (106 minutes run time) ever since Following.