Why Nolan’s Oppenheimer Movie Won’t Be As Divisive As Tenet

Christopher Nolan’s next movie, Oppenheimer, is already different from everything he has done before, and it’s already on its way to not being as divisive as his previous movie, Tenet – and here’s why. Thanks to his visual and narrative style, Christopher Nolan has become one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of his generation, and there’s always a lot of anticipation around his projects. Nolan’s works have stood out for his outstanding visuals (more so as Nolan avoids using CGI as much as possible) and for addressing themes like time, memory, and identity, mixing them up with other complex themes like dreams, but his next project, Oppenheimer, marks a first in Nolan’s career.

Based on the book American Prometheus, by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, Oppenheimer tells the true story of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory during the Manhattan Project, and his contributions that led to the creation of the atomic bomb. Also starring are Emily Blunt as Katherine Oppenheimer, Matt Damon as Leslie Groves, Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, and Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock.

Related: Why Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer Is In Black & White

Although Nolan has previously covered real-life events (as he did in Dunkirk), Oppenheimer is his first biopic, making it a big first in his career, yet it will surely still address some of the themes he always uses, as are time and identity. However, Oppenheimer is on its way to not being as divisive as Nolan’s previous movie, Tenet, thanks to its story being more straightforward.

How Much More Successful Than Tenet Will Oppenheimer Be?

There was a lot of anticipation around Tenet due to its mysterious plot and how it addressed the concept of time, as the trailers showed the characters manipulating the flow of time as they pleased. After various delays, Tenet was released in theaters amidst the pandemic shutdown, which led to a lot of criticism over Nolan’s insistence to release his movie theatrically rather than on streaming platforms or simply delaying it a bit more. Ultimately, Tenet received mostly positive reviews, praising its visual effects, action sequences, and the performances of its main cast, but it was also criticized for its confusing story, and became Nolan’s most divisive work.

Being based on a true story and featuring real-life characters, Oppenheimer is already more straightforward than most of Nolan’s works, though it will surely have its twists and turns too (it’s a Christopher Nolan movie, after all). Oppenheimer also has the potential to be both a big summer movie and an awards contender, thanks to its big production, story, and cast, which Tenet ultimately didn’t manage to achieve. With cinemas all over the world open and working again, Oppenheimer is also on its way to being the movie that will fix Nolan’s broken box office streak after Tenet failed to make a profit due its failed theatrical release. Expectations are high regarding Oppenheimer and not just in terms of quality, as it has the potential to make up for Tenet’s mistakes while also being different from what the audience is used to seeing from Christopher Nolan.