Since 1998, Christopher Nolan has been a staple of cinema. From Following, his directorial debut, Nolan has shown that his directorial vision is one of the brightest. His films grew in size and budget as his career blossomed, leading studios to believe in the Academy Award nominee. Never afraid to step outside his comfort zone, every Nolan film offers a different and unique perspective from the visionary.

While Nolan has earned a blank check throughout the years with films like The Dark Knight and Inception under his belt, his last movie Tenet garnered the most divisive response yet. While a fan of this Lynchian style blockbuster, I longed for a grounded, meditative film from Nolan, and his latest film captures that essence beautifully.

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a relentless and roaring cinematic achievement. Nolan breathes fresh air into the possibilities of the “Summer Blockbuster” with a nuanced, dense, and inventive character study that highlights the power of man and their ability to self-inflict doom and peril.

Adapted from American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Oppenheimer tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist credited as the “father of the atomic bomb.” From the pivotal moments of early development to the aftermath of the bombing, the film dives deep into the man and those surrounding him.

In what could be Christopher Nolan’s best screenplay thus far, Oppenheimer weaves through a three-act structure that can be divided into these unique entities; a rich character-driven deconstruction, a tense-filled thriller, and a politically laced courtroom drama. The sum of its parts equals Nolan’s demonizing man’s ego and desire to destroy political clout and growth. A theme that is a dooming warning to the ideology of “history repeating itself.”

Nolan’s direction is as confident as ever as he delivers a stirring and haunting crowning achievement. Yes, the swings are bold but massively influential. Nolan directs his most operatic and personal film, drawing suspense from the most simplistic moments.

Oppenheimer’s grandiose scale goes toe to toe with Nolan’s screenplay and direction. Hoyte van Hoytema continues to impress as one of the best cinematographers. The film, shot with 70mm IMAX cameras, stands as one of the crowning achievements of IMAX with astonishing visuals that are set to leave with cinephiles upon the film’s conclusion.

In a career that already includes an Academy Award, Ludwig Göransson’s score is his most impressive yet. Entirely responsible for Oppenheimer‘s stakes and tension, Göransson constructs a score that will leave audiences hypnotized and stands as the year’s best score. The film’s sound design is impeccable and feels like a culmination of Nolan’s work with sound throughout his career. Oppenheimer is it. It’s the cherry on top.

There’s no denying the film stands on the performance of Cillian Murphy. Finally landing a lead role in a Nolan film, Murphy seizes his opportunity with a tour de force performance capturing a genius’s moral torment and ambiguity. It’s a performance that demands his name to be called on Oscar nomination morning.

Robert Downey Jr. spent the better part of 11 years in the MCU, and his performance in Oppenheimer feels as if the shackles of the MCU were left in the dust. Downey offers a thunderous, Oscar-worthy performance that is one of his career’s best. Speaking of Oscar, Emily Blunt is sublime as Oppenheimer’s wife, Kitty. With a film-stealing moment that had our entire press screening clapping, this performance should finally land Blunt the Oscar nomination she richly deserves.

Oppenheimer is a cinematic miracle. Perfectly capturing the spirit of JFK and The Social Network, Oppenheimer cements its place as the best film of 2023 and one of the greatest biopics ever.