When it comes to Christopher Nolan movies containing the very best and most iconic scenes, there are obvious contenders like The Dark Knight, Interstellar, The Prestige, Oppenheimer, and more. However, we also now have The Odyssey to think about, and it's absolutely in the mix.
Of course, Christopher Nolan's impressive track record makes ranking his best scenes difficult...but we're gonna take a crack at it all the same (you can let us know in the comments which scenes we should or shouldn't have included). Here's our ranking of the top 12 greatest Christopher Nolan scenes, including The Odyssey (though no more than two from a single movie).
12
Batman's First Appearance — Batman Begins
Christopher Nolan's first full reveal of Christian Bale's Dark Knight in 2005's Batman Begins couldn't have been better. Debuting his cape and cowl for the first time, seeing The Dark Knight take down Carmine Falcone's men one by one before taking out Falcone himself still hits hard just over 20 years later. Emerging from the shadows as a true monster to these criminals (who have no context for what they're facing), it's easily one of the best cinematic superhero debuts of all time, especially for Nolan's more grounded take on the character.
11
The Last Temporal Pincer - Tenet
2020's Tenet is arguably one of Christopher Nolan's most complicated movies, which in turn arguably makes it one of the most Nolan-coded movies ever with how the movie explores relative time and non-linear storytelling. Although there may be points in the plot that were far too confusing upon first watch, you can't say the movie isn't filled with visual spectacle like the reverse car chase on the highway. That said, the greatest scene in Tenet is undoubtedly its ending with the "temporal pincer", featuring multiple soldiers fighting both forwards and backwards in time.
Likewise, it's all capped off with the farewell from Robert Pattinson's Neil, who reveals he was recruited years into the future by John David Washington's The Protagonist, making their entire friendship a massive temporal loop that had only reached its halfway point: the end of the friendship for Neil was also the start of their friendship for The Protagonist.
10
Einstein & Oppenheimer - Oppenheimer
One of the quieter and most devastating scenes on this list, the meeting between J. Robert Oppenheimer and Albert Einstein at the end of 2023's Oppenheimer is easily one of its most important scenes, highlighting Oppenheimer's fears about what his work has unleashed and the potential consequences of nuclear proliferation. In terms of both the dialogue and the insight into Oppenheimer's internal struggle, there's no doubt that this final scene in Oppenheimer is one of Nolan's greatest.
9
Borden's Twin Reveal — The Prestige
One of the most epic and satisfying Christopher Nolan twists of all time is the reveal at the end of 2006's The Prestige about Christian Bale's Alfred Borden. Although it was revealed that Hugh Jackman's Robert Angier utilized the shocking cloning technology of Nikola Tesla for his own "Transported Man" trick, Borden's method was far simpler, as it was ultimately revealed that Borden was actually two identical twins sharing one identity at various times, both on and off-stage. Hidden incredibly well in plain sight until the ending, the reveal is easily one of Nolan's greatest scenes, highlighting his own near-magician status as a movie-maker.
8
The Truck Flip — The Dark Knight
Without question, the truck flip in 2008's The Dark Knight highlights Nolan's full commitment to practical filmmaking, which in turn becomes part of the visual spectacle. Watching the Joker's enormous truck physically flip over thanks to Batman and his newly revealed Batpod is one of the top scenes in the entire Dark Knight trilogy, especially when it's followed by Bruce Wayne's inability to hit and kill The Joker (even as much as he might want to).
7
The Docking Scene — Interstellar
You gotta love the epic sequence in 2014's Interstellar, where Matthew McConaughey's Cooper risks everything to match The Endurance's out-of-control rotation and dock with it. Everything is literally firing on all cylinders from Hans Zimmer's score, the impressive rotating visuals, practical effects, and all kinds of palpable tension coming together for one of Nolan's most impressive sequences.
6
Cooper Watches His Children's Messages — Interstellar
While Interstellar's docking sequence is absolutely thrilling, Cooper watching decades of messages from his now-grown children is easily one of the most emotionally devastating scenes in any Christopher Nolan movie. Although carried by McConaughey's tragically impressive performance, the performances from Casey Affleck and Jessica Chastain as Cooper's adult kids are just as good and heartbreaking.
5
Odysseus Faces Polyphemus - The Odyssey
Now we get to Christopher Nolan's most recent film with 2026's The Odyssey. Although there are so many incredible scenes, like Circe turning Odysseus' men into pigs or the encounter with the Laestrygonian giants, the initial confrontation with the Cyclops absolutely sets the tone for the entire movie going forward in terms of sheer spectacle, tension, and Nolan's mind-blowing dedication to practical effects.
4
The Rotating Hallway — Inception
Inception's iconic rotating hallway fight remains one of Christopher Nolan's most signature filmmaking achievements. As Arthur fights inside a hotel corridor that is literally rotating through space, the choreography accounts for constantly shifting gravity within the dream sequence level above. Using a gigantic rotating set rather than relying entirely on digital effects, Nolan ensured that Joseph Gordon-Levitt has never looked cooler.
3
The Trinity Test — Oppenheimer
The Trinity Test in 2023's Oppenheimer did an exceptional job highlighting objectively incredible scientific achievement as well as the dark truth of its horrific consequences. After spending the entire movie building toward the atomic bomb's creation, Nolan delivers far more than just the expected explosion. After moments of pure silence before the detonation, the blast itself is equal parts beautiful and terrifying. The theory becomes all too real, and the range of feelings meant to be instilled within the audience itself is a true accomplishment on Nolan's part.
Also, the conversation just before the test between Cillian Murphy's Oppenheimer and Matt Damon's Gen. Groves about the odds of the bomb blowing up the entire planet being near-zero is iconic.
English (US) ·