Film · in order

Christopher Nolan Movies in Order

By the Bingerun team · How we choose the order →

Christopher Nolan has directed 13 feature films, from Following (1998) to The Odyssey, in theaters July 17, 2026. Release order is the only order: every film is standalone except the Dark Knight trilogy, which is the one internal sequence to keep.

0 / 13 done
  1. Following 1998

    The 70-minute black-and-white debut, shot on weekends; for completists

  2. Memento 2000

    The backwards-told breakthrough; still the purest Nolan puzzle

  3. Insomnia 2002

    Pacino and Williams in the Alaskan midnight sun; his most conventional thriller

  4. Batman Begins 2005

    The Dark Knight trilogy starts; the one Nolan sequence with required order

  5. The Prestige 2006

    The dueling-magicians film; the storyteller's favorite

  6. The Dark Knight 2008

    Heath Ledger's Joker; trilogy part two

  7. Inception 2010

    The heist inside dreams; the most common entry point

  8. The Dark Knight Rises 2012

    Trilogy finale, and per Nolan still his most expensive film

  9. Interstellar 2014

    The space-time epic; the other big crowd-pleasing door

  10. Dunkirk 2017

    War told on three interlocking clocks

  11. Tenet 2020

    Time inversion; the most divisive one, rewards a rewatch

  12. Oppenheimer 2023

    Seven Oscars including Best Picture and Director

  13. The Odyssey 2026

    In theaters from July 17, 2026: Homer with Matt Damon, shot entirely on IMAX cameras

Check off what you've finished, it saves automatically · See all your lists → ·

Why this order?

Nolan is the rare filmography where the answer is genuinely simple: watch in release order, or in any order at all, because the films do not connect. Following (1998), Memento (2000), Insomnia (2002), The Prestige (2006), Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), Dunkirk (2017), Tenet (2020), Oppenheimer (2023) and now The Odyssey are all self-contained. The single exception is the Dark Knight trilogy: Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012) are one continuous story and must be watched in that order; our separate Batman movies guide covers how they sit against every other Batman era.

The Odyssey is the event of summer 2026: Nolan's take on Homer with Matt Damon as Odysseus, alongside Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson, opened in US theaters July 17 as the first commercial feature shot entirely on IMAX cameras. No Nolan homework is needed, and no reading homework either, though our Homer reading guide covers the Iliad-first question if the film sends you to the source. One myth to correct while it trends: it is not his most expensive film; Nolan himself has noted The Dark Knight Rises still holds that title.

Where to start if not at the beginning? Inception and Interstellar are the crowd-pleasing doors, The Prestige is the storyteller's favorite, Memento is the puzzle-box origin, and Oppenheimer is the Oscar juggernaut. Following is for completists: a 70-minute black-and-white debut shot on weekends. However you enter, the through-line is the same obsession, time, and structure as story, which is why binging his filmography rewards more than most directors'.

Timeline 1998-2026

Every entry by release year: rows that share a year are a cluster, and the long droughts are called out on the rail.

  1. 1998 Following
  2. 2000 Memento
  3. 2002 Insomnia
  4. 2005 Batman Begins
  5. 2006 The Prestige
  6. 2008 The Dark Knight
  7. 2010 Inception
  8. 2012 The Dark Knight Rises
  9. 2014 Interstellar
  10. 2017 Dunkirk
  11. 2020 Tenet
  12. 2023 Oppenheimer
  13. 2026 The Odyssey

Where to play it today

  • The Odyssey is exclusively in theaters (and IMAX) from July 17, 2026
  • The back catalog is scattered: Oppenheimer streams on Peacock in the US, the Dark Knight trilogy and Inception rotate on Netflix and HBO Max; check JustWatch per film

Availability changes often and varies by region - links search each platform for Christopher Nolan.

Frequently asked questions

How many Christopher Nolan movies are there?

Thirteen features: Following (1998), Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet, Oppenheimer and The Odyssey (2026), now in theaters.

What order should I watch Christopher Nolan's movies in?

Release order works, but it barely matters: every film stands alone except the Dark Knight trilogy (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises), which must be watched in sequence.

Do I need to watch anything before The Odyssey?

No. The Odyssey adapts Homer, not any earlier Nolan film, so it requires zero preparation. If the movie sends you to the source, our Homer reading guide covers whether to read the Iliad first.

Do Christopher Nolan's movies connect to each other?

No shared universe exists: only the Dark Knight trilogy is connected storytelling. Recurring themes (time, memory, obsession) and recurring actors are the through-line, not plot.

Which Christopher Nolan movie should I start with?

Inception or Interstellar for spectacle, The Prestige for story, Memento for the puzzle-box origin, Oppenheimer for the awards heavyweight. Following is best saved for last despite being first.

Is The Odyssey Nolan's most expensive movie?

No, despite the viral claims: the budget is reported around 250 million dollars, and Nolan has said The Dark Knight Rises remains his most expensive film. It is, however, the first commercial feature shot entirely with IMAX cameras.

</> Embed this guide on your site

Put the live Christopher Nolan order on your own site, blog, or wiki. It stays current as we verify and update it, with no upkeep on your end.

Last verified · Sources: en.wikipedia.org, odysseymovie.com, Wikidata

← Browse all movie orders