Christopher Nolan is a British-American filmmaker known for his Hollywood blockbusters with complex stories. He has received many accolades and has been nominated for five Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, and six Golden Globe Awards. His work is often featured in lists of the best films of their respective decades, characterized by their exploration of ethics, the age of construction, memory, personal identity, and existentialism. Nolan’s films are not limited to one genre and this is how he has managed to grab the attention of people all over the world. Starting out with experimental shorts and B-movies like many other studious filmmakers, he immediately gained fame for his brutal and intriguing style when he directed The dark knight trilogy. From then on, his films gained cult status from all over the world.
One of the most overlooked factors of his movies is his characters. Nolan focuses heavily on the plot, which may make the characters seem a bit underdeveloped. However, they are still as fascinating and enticing as the other aspects of his films. So here are the 10 best Christopher Nolan movie characters, ranked.
10 Mal Cobb – Start
Start is a 2010 science fiction action film starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a professional thief named Dom Cobb, who steals information by entering his targets’ dreams. Marion Cotillard plays Mal Cobb, Dom’s late wife. She appears as a manifestation of Dom’s guilt about the true nature behind her suicide. They came up with the idea of sharing dreams, and during one instance they both got stuck in Limbo. When they wake up, the dream becomes Mal’s false reality and she kills herself to escape it. Mal is an adversary to these manifestations and reflects everything that can go wrong when dream sharing is not done right.
9 Robert Angier – The Prestige
The prestige is a 2006 psychological thriller film based on the 1995 novel by Christopher Priest. The film follows Robert Angier, played by Hugh Jackman, and Alfred Borden, played by Christian Bale, rival stage musicians in Victorian London who fight over a perfect teleportation trick. When his rival successfully completes the trick, Angier becomes extremely disappointed and spends the entire film searching for the secret. He mainly reflects the dark side of the rivalry, he behaves selfishly and is constantly looking for people’s appreciation instead of admiring the art of magic. He is always willing to go to great lengths to achieve his goals, which ends up working against him at the end of the movie.
8 Alfred Pennyworth – The Dark Knight Trilogy
Michael Caine was perfectly cast in Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, starring Alfred Pennyworth. Caine is a regular in Nolan’s films, and his role as Pennyworth is second to none. He not only serves as a butler for the Wayne family, but also as a spiritual and emotional guide. Caine and Bale developed a father-son dynamic in the three films, giving the character much more nuance than any previous actor.
7 Walter Finch – Insomnia
Insomnia is a 2002 psychological thriller that is a remake of the 1997 Norwegian film of the same name. The plot follows two Los Angeles homicide detectives who investigate a murder in Nightmute, Alaska. One of the detectives suffers from insomnia due to a combination of the incessant midnight sun in Nightmute and a secret he carries. The insomnia causes delusions in the detective. The killer contacts him, informs him about the murder and knows what is wrong with him. They form a symbiotic relationship by keeping secrets for everyone’s benefit.
The big character in this movie is Robin William’s character, Walter Finch, who happens to be the killer in this movie. Williams is known as a comedy legend thanks to his dedication to crazy impressions. In Insomniahe plays against type as a chilling, cold-hearted killer.
6 Farrier — Dunkirk
Dunkirk is a 2017 historical war film that depicts the evacuation of Dunkirk during World War II from the perspective of the three protagonists on land, sea and air. The last of the three is Farrier, played by Tom Hardy. Farrier is a fighter pilot who puts the Allies’ fight against the Axis powers above his own safety. He sets fire to his own crashed plane so that the enemy does not understand how his technology works. Best of all, Nolan covered Hardy’s face for this role, which meant Hardy had to play all of his scenes with just his eyes.
5 Bane – The dark knight ascends
The dark knight rises the last episode is in The dark knight trilogy. The 2012 superhero film is set eight years after the events of The dark knight, and features the villain Bane, played by Tom Hardy. It wouldn’t be an easy task to top Heath Ledger’s villain from the previous film, but Hardy is still an unforgettable villain. While the Joker poses a psychological threat to Batman, Bane poses a physical threat. Who can forget the iconic, cinematic recreation of the comic strip scene where Bane Breaks Batman breaks his back over his knee?
4 Bruce Wayne – The Dark Knight Trilogy
While the villains are certainly interesting and fans love Alfred Pennyworth, the real star of the Batman movies is the hero himself, Bruce Wayne. His story is well known: a child who witnessed the death of his parents and vowed to save Gotham from corruption and criminals. Although the story is familiar, it is not so easy to adapt it directly on the screen. Bale’s performance as the titular hero is one of the best onscreen portrayals of any superhero. After the end of The dark knight trilogy, Bale’s name became synonymous with Batman.
3 Joseph Cooper – Interstellar
Interstellar is a 2014 science fiction film starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, Matt Damon, and Michael Cain. The film is set in a dystopian future where humanity can barely survive and a group of astronauts are killed by one wormhole at Saturn to find a new home for humanity. The man in charge of this mission is Joseph “Coo” Cooper (McConaughey). He sacrifices his own life to save the world and embarks on an uncertain mission. During the film’s beginning, viewers initially see him as a selfish father who abandons his children for his own ambitions. However, throughout the rest of the movie, viewers see him change and make bad choices to end the mission quickly so he can save his family.
2 Dominic Cobb – Inception
The protagonist of Start is DiCaprio’s Dominic “Dom” Cobb. While the movie is known for its flashy elements and wild plot, DiCaprio gives one of his best performances as Dom. The emotionally unbalanced situation in which he must use the technique that led to his wife’s death makes completing his mission all the more difficult. Cobb has to get himself out of the situation he’s in, and doesn’t let that bring him down. Instead, it serves as an inspiration to continue its mission.
1 The Joker – The dark knight
The dark knight is a 2008 superhero movie and is the sequel to Batman begins. Heath Ledger stars as the Joker in the movie, and his Oscar-winning performance has been hailed as one of the greatest villains in movie history, as well as one of the greatest comic book villains. The Joker easily steals the spotlight from the titular vigilante and makes the movie his own. Sure, Nolan’s take on the classic villain is the best character adaptation so far.