Christopher Nolan boasts a filmography teeming with brilliant movies that have done well at the worldwide box office, and his highest-grossing releases, in particular, have made billions. Since making his directorial debut in 1998 with the independent neo-noir crime thriller Following, Nolan has directed a dozen feature films, and he has produced or executive produced several more. Along with all the things that happen in every Nolan movie, it’s also noteworthy that almost all of his films are big moneymakers.
From superhero fare that transcends the genre and complex sci-fi action movies to epic historical war films and biographical dramas, the best of Christopher Nolan’s movies are as good as any that have been made in the last 25 years. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that 10 of Nolan’s movies saw worldwide grosses in the nine-figure range. Two of them even went above the billion-dollar mark.
10 The Prestige (2006) – $104.4 million
Based on Christopher Priest’s 1995 novel of the same name, The Prestige is among the best psychological thrillers. It depicts the rivalry between two talented stage magicians and their bitter dispute regarding a trick in which they appear to teleport. It’s a magnificent period piece set in late Victorian London with some clever and intriguing twists. It can be a challenging watch, but The Prestige is worthy of attention. With Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale in the leading roles, a stellar supporting cast, and a memorable turn from David Bowie as Nikola Tesla, it grossed just over $100 million globally.
9 Insomnia (2002) – $113.6 million
Starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams, Insomnia is a psychological thriller and a remake — and reexamination of sorts — of Erik Skjoldbjærg’s 1997 Norwegian movie of the same name. It follows two Los Angeles homicide detectives to a small Alaskan fishing town, where the sun remains out all day, to investigate a 17-year-old girl’s murder. With emotions already heightened due to the perpetual daylight, things get messier when further tragedy unfolds. Pacino and Williams make a fabulous duo and mesmerize with their performances, and the intelligent plot only adds to how incredibly compelling the movie is. Despite Insomnia being Nolan’s “forgotten movie” it grossed close to $114 million worldwide.
8 Batman Begins (2005) – $356.8 million
Batman Begins is the first installment in Christopher Nolan’s brilliant Dark Knight Trilogy. It tells the origin story of the titular DC superhero, depicting the key moments in Bruce Wayne’s life that shaped his motives, from witnessing the murder of his parents to his training with the League of Shadows. Christian Bale performs brilliantly as the Caped Crusader, prompting the demand for a franchise. While it didn’t gross as much as its two sequels, Batman Begins laid the foundations for their phenomenal success with its dark and grounded portrayal of its hero and still grossed over $350 million worldwide, which is admirable.
7 Tenet (2020) – $360.2 million
The sci-fi action thriller Tenet centers on a former CIA agent who gets recruited into the eponymous mysterious organization. Once brought in, he must save the planet by utilizing the organization’s ability to manipulate the flow of time and prevent an attack from the future. It’s a risky movie that’s as complicated as it sounds. However, viewers who persevere with it and, most importantly, understand it will be blown away, treated to some awe-inspiring visuals, and rewarded with some epic twists. John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, and Elizabeth Debicki charm in their roles, and Tenet grossed a cool worldwide total of just over $360 million.
6 Dunkirk (2017) – $512.4 million
Dunkirk is a harrowing and inspirational war thriller depicting one of the most intense events of World War II. Operation Dynamo saw the evacuation of over 300,000 British, Belgian, and French soldiers whom German forces had surrounded amid the Battle of France. Christopher Nolan’s brilliant portrayal of events makes Dunkirk one of the best military movies ever made. It’s gripping from start to finish, features some fantastic set pieces, and is littered with excellent performances from the likes of Tom Hardy, Harry Styles, Mark Rylance, Fionn Whitehead, and Kenneth Branagh. Its worldwide gross of over $500 million is a fitting testament to its brilliance.
5 Interstellar (2014) – $647.2 million
Interstellar is set in a dystopian future where human behavior has resulted in the mass destruction of Earth’s ecosystems, resulting in global famine and humanity abandoning all scientific exploration and endeavors. One group of astronauts heads into the cosmos to find a new home for those who’ve survived. This ambitious epic sci-fi adventure is incredibly easy on the eye, thrilling, and deeply profound. Despite some undeniable scientific inaccuracies, it’s a thoroughly absorbing watch, thanks in no small part to the terrific acting of Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain. It grossed a hefty worldwide total nearing $650 million.
4 Inception (2010) – $825.8 million
It might be one of the most confusing movies ever made in some people’s eyes, but Inception is also among the most intelligent, thrilling, and innovative. It’s a multi-layered sci-fi action film about a professional thief who can access his victims’ subconscious and steal information from them by that means. The ensemble cast, which includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, and Marion Cotillard, are all in excellent form, helping to create a genuinely unique movie-watching experience. Globally, Inception grossed a whopping total of just over $825 million.
3 Oppenheimer (2023) – $942 million
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is his best and most mature. It’s an epic biographical thriller about the theoretical physicist and “father of the atomic bomb,” J. Robert Oppenheimer. The film chronicles his career from his time at Cambridge University to overseeing World War II’s Manhattan Project and, subsequently, the 1954 security hearing that resulted in his downfall. It’s a bona fide masterpiece of storytelling and cinematography. Cillian Murphy gives a monumental performance in the eponymous role and has outstanding support from the likes of Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, and Matt Damon. Its colossal worldwide gross wasn’t too far from $1 billion, making it Nolan’s highest-grossing non-Batman movie.
2 The Dark Knight (2008) – $998.7 million
The sequel to Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, is the best movie in The Dark Knight Trilogy and, in the eyes of many, the finest superhero movie ever made. It’s Christian Bale’s first reprisal of his role as the Caped Crusader and sees him facing off with Heath Ledger’s Joker — a role for which the late actor famously won a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar. It’s another deliciously dark depiction of Batman, with even more complexity and thrills than its predecessor, making for a legitimately brilliant crime thriller. The Dark Knight broke box office records, and its gargantuan worldwide gross was just $2 million away from reaching $1 billion.
1 The Dark Knight Rises (2012) – $1.08 billion
Christopher Nolan’s highest-grossing movie is the epic final installment in his Dark Knight Trilogy. While it doesn’t hit the heights of The Dark Knight, quality-wise, it’s still superb and the second-best film in the franchise. In this one, Christian Bale’s Batman comes up against a formidable new foe in the form of Tom Hardy’s Bane. Hardy does well to follow Ledger as the bad guy without paling in comparison to him. The Dark Knight Rises is the trilogy’s most ambitious and action-packed film, but it isn’t quite as riveting as its predecessor. It’s the only film in Christopher Nolan’s back catalog to surpass $1 billion, which it managed by a whisker.
