What’s your Mount Rushmore of Christopher Nolan films?

It’s July, which means one of the year’s most highly anticipated films is almost here.

The Odyssey has already shattered presale records and crashed the AMC app ahead of its July 17 release. Christopher Nolan is Hollywood’s most bankable filmmaker, consistently drawing large audiences to big films about big ideas.

Nolan’s last feature earned him his long-deserved Oscar for Best Film, and you could argue that Oppenheimer is his fourth-best flick.

That got us thinking. What is the Mount Rushmore of Christopher Nolan movies?

Here is one person’s opinion:

Oppenheimer

Available for rent on: YouTube, Apple TV, Prime Video, etc.

Quote: “They won’t fear it until they understand it. And they won’t understand it until they’ve used it. Theory will take you only so far.”

As previously mentioned, Oppenheimer isn’t Nolan’s best film, but it’s his crowning achievement. After being nominated for Memento, Inception, and Dunkirk, he finally won for his story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, known as the father of the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer earned Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director. He missed out on Best Adapted Screenplay. Overall, Oppenheimer won seven Oscars and was nominated for 13. Equally important, the star-studded feature was a major box-office success. That’s notable for a movie that isn’t about superheroes or a sequel.

The Dark Knight

Streaming on: HBO Max

Available for rent on: YouTube, Apple TV, Prime Video, etc.

Quote: “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

It’s hard to get a consensus on anything in America. Yet everyone agrees that The Dark Knight is exceptional. This is not just a great superhero movie, but a great movie, period. It elevated the genre to something we had never seen on the silver screen before. Driven by an Oscar-winning performance by the late Heath Ledger as The Joker, The Dark Knight is a gripping adventure that makes most other comic book movies seem silly by comparison. The Dark Knight helped establish the box-office clout Nolan enjoys today.

The Prestige

Streaming on: Hulu and Peacock

Available for rent on: YouTube, Apple TV, Prime Video, etc.

Quote: “Are you watching closely?”

There’s a strong case to be made that The Prestige should be No. 1 on any Nolan list. It offers the best combination of acting, storytelling, and visuals. The entire film is constructed as a magic trick, and when it’s over, it will leave you stunned. There have been few movies with endings as shocking as this. Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) are magicians whose rivalry escalates to a dangerous level. As a delightful bonus, seeing David Bowie as Nikola Tesla is a welcome sight.

Memento

Streaming on: Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, Peacock

Quote: “You don’t want the truth. You make up your own truth.”

Memento is one of the century’s best movies, arguably the best modern film noir, and has Steven Spielberg’s stamp of approval. Without a huge budget or major stars, Christopher Nolan’s breakthrough hit still resonates for its originality and masterful storytelling. A straightforward plot about an insurance investigator with anterograde amnesia trying to solve the mystery of his wife’s murder would have been good enough on its own. But Nolan’s decision to reveal key details in reverse is what makes this thriller stand the test of time. Every time you watch Memento, you notice something new you missed before.

Notable omissions

Let’s address them: Inception and Interstellar.

It was extremely difficult not to include Inception, since it’s Nolan’s most entertaining film and the closest he’s come to a James Bond flick. The first 15 minutes are mesmerizing, and you’re immediately hooked. If this were a top five, Inception would make the list.

As for Interstellar, that’s a different story. While you can certainly appreciate its popularity, some parts of the movie feel cheesy and silly. Matthew McConaughey seems miscast as an astronaut, and overall, it didn’t work for some of us.

Your opinion may be different.