Christopher Nolan has risen to become one of the biggest working directors and it is his mind that helps set his films apart from the rest. He made his directorial debut with a small indie film Following in 1998 but the world quickly learned his name upon the release of Memento in 2000. It was here that Nolan established his filmmaking style and set him off on a meteoric rise through Hollywood that has yet to truly stop.
He mixed in more smart and surprising thrillers early on in his career with Insomnia and The Prestige, but the latter came as he made a turn into blockbuster filmmaking. Nolan was handed the reigns of Batman in an effort to reboot him and 2005's Batman Begins did just that. The origin film spawned two sequels to make up Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy that each made over $1 billion worldwide. In the midst of this dominance, he made sure to continue telling stories outside of the superhero genre and crafted Inception in the process, and then followed up his days with Batman with the Matthew McConaughey led sci-fi film Interstellar. His most recent effort was a tension filled war drama Dunkirk that earned him his first Best Director nomination at the Oscars.
Related: Every Christopher Nolan Movie, Ranked
Through all of this success, it is Nolan's approach to storytelling that has helped him continue to make high quality films. In the latest Screen Rant Docs video, we take a look at his brilliant mind to discuss his process and results. Between his recurring use of water for symbolism, the preference for practical effects, a beginning to a fourth act of a narrative, and his use of time and twists, there's a lot to dig into.
Nolan has certainly developed certain habits with his films that have now led to audiences having some built in expectations for what his latest movie could hold, but he still manages to flex his directorial muscles in the process by trying new genres too. No matter what types of films he does in the future, audiences should continue to expect Nolan to lean on what has made him successful so far. This doesn't mean that his films will become stale and repetitive though, as he is too smart of a writer and director to let that happen.
This will next be put to the test in the summer of 2020 when Nolan's new movie hits theaters. There are currently no details available on what the movie will be about or who could star in it. But, just as Nolan has made a name for himself with his intellectual and character driven stories, he's also shown the ability to cast top tier talent. With Nolan's mystery project getting a prime summer release in IMAX, his latest effort is sure to be an event no matter what.