Christopher Nolan has accomplished much during his cinematic tenure. Whether he was bringing new life to a Caped Crusader or pulling off heist in dreams, the British filmmaker has crafted some of the most memorable films to hit the big screen. While Nolan has made his share of blockbusters, he has also had a hand in other genres with one of these movies being the war film Dunkirk. Now the director has returned, and the filmmaker has made another movie centering on World War 2. However instead of focusing on the war itself Nolan’s latest film deals with the war’s conclusion and the scientist responsible for ending it. This film is none other than Oppenheimer.

The movie tells the tale of J.Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) who is tasked to create the atomic bomb before the Nazis make one themselves; and the results leads to completely different conflict. This depiction of Oppenheimer’s life is in fact based on the autobiography “American Prometheus” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin; and this adaptation was written for the screen by Nolan himself. The movie breaks new ground for Nolan as, not only does it implement black-and-white filters on IMAX cameras, but this is the first film since Insomnia not to be distributed by Warner Bros. Studios; and instead produced by Universal Pictures. Seeing that this is a Christopher Nolan film, it was hard not to anticipate the release of this new film. Nolan has made a lot of iconic films over the years; it is hard to imagine what he could do with a film like Oppenheimer. Yet despite his filmography, I have to say Oppenheimer may be one of Nolan’s most dynamic films to date.

When dealing with a biopic, it is usually best to maintain one’s disbelief as they tend to lean on theatricality. In the case of Oppenheimer, I cannot say what the film exaggerates or not; but I will say that the story was compelling. The plot follows a structure like Dunkirk with it showing various points in Oppenheimer’s life simultaneously. While I found this direction in Dunkirk to be jarring, though ambitious, this direction was very effective for Oppenheimer. This was likely due to the story’s execution which was able to mesh each plot points in a fashionable manner. When it came to the main concept, the creation of the atom bomb made for a compelling story. Along with getting into the science behind its creation, the buildup to the test was handled perfectly and led to a true cinematic moment. The aftermath of the test was equally as compelling as the story turned into a political thriller that handled its topic well; and all these factors led to a drama that was both subtle and unique for Nolan.

When it came to the cast, Oppenheimer was filled with actors familiar with Nolan as well as newcomers; and the result was an impressive ensemble. Regarding the title character, Cillian Murphy was outstanding as Oppenheimer. Cillian’s performance brought out the brilliance behind the scientist as well as his humanity; and it was undoubtedly one of Murphy’s best performances. Along with Murphy was an array of other players like Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh and Matt Damon; and each brought their own energy to the film. The film also featured a massive supporting cast including the likes of Josh Harnett, Jack Quaid and Kenneth Branagh which is just naming a few. Yet if there was one standout in this massive cast, aside Murphy, it was none other than Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss. Downey brought his usual flair to the role as well as a sense of nuance that allowed the actor to showcase his ability.

When going into a Christopher Nolan film, I tend to expect that there will be a sense of spectacle in the feature; and despite Oppenheimer not being Nolan’s typical blockbuster his eye in presentation was certainly prevalent in the new movie. Along with its distinct cinematography, the film’s spectacle was seen in the movie sense of imagery. Between the abstract images that capture Oppenheimer’s thoughts or how parts of the story took place in black and white, the movie’s visuals were astonishing and even something refreshing to Nolan’s work. As for the music returning to conduct the score was none other than Ludwig Gorranson, who previously worked with Nolan in Tenet. Gorranson proved why he is one of the best composer in the business today as the music to Oppenheimer was as tense as it was thematic, and gave Nolan another impressive soundtrack for his filmography.

Oppenheimer lives up to the prowess of Christopher Nolan’s work. The new drama provided tense storytelling that captured the event in a dynamic manner; along with an ensemble that was rich with strong and memorable performances. Yet I think it was the movie’s presentation that made all the difference as its sense of visuals and music created an atmospheric spectacle for the historic film. With Nolan already accomplishing so much on the big screen, it is nice to see that filmmaker can still bring a sense of ingenuity with movies like Oppenheimer. While time will tell where this movie stands in Nolan’s resume, I can say with confidence that Oppenheimer is not just a standout film for 2023, but a contender for the best film of the year.