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Christopher Nolan watch order

Christopher Nolan movies in order, by release and rating. Updated October 20, 2026.

Christopher Nolan's films don't share a story, so watch them in release order: Following (1998), Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet, Oppenheimer and The Odyssey (2026). The only connected films are his Dark Knight trilogy: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.

How to watch the Christopher Nolan movies in order: the full guide

All 13 films and series in the Christopher Nolan franchise, in release order and in chronological (story) order. The first in release order is Following (1998); the first in chronological order is Following (set in A writer who shadows strangers).

Release order

  1. Following (Movie, 1998): Nolan's black-and-white debut: a London writer tails strangers until a burglar recruits him.
  2. Memento (Movie, 2000): A man who cannot make new memories hunts his wife's killer, told in reverse with tattoos and Polaroids.
  3. Insomnia (Movie, 2002): An LA detective who cannot sleep under the Alaskan midnight sun is blackmailed by the killer he hunts.
  4. Batman Begins (Movie, 2005): Christopher Nolan's origin story; starts the Dark Knight trilogy.
  5. The Prestige (Movie, 2006): Two Victorian stage magicians wreck each other's lives chasing the perfect vanishing act.
  6. The Dark Knight (Movie, 2008): Heath Ledger's Joker; the trilogy's centrepiece.
  7. Inception (Movie, 2010): A heist inside dreams.
  8. The Dark Knight Rises (Movie, 2012): Ends the Dark Knight trilogy, eight years later.
  9. Interstellar (Movie, 2014): Through a wormhole to save humanity.
  10. Dunkirk (Movie, 2017): The 1940 evacuation told on land, at sea and in the air, each strand on a different clock.
  11. Tenet (Movie, 2020): A CIA agent learns to move backwards through time to stop an oligarch from ending the world.
  12. Oppenheimer (Movie, 2023): The physicist who led the atomic bomb project, from Los Alamos to the hearing that ruined him.
  13. The Odyssey (Movie, 2026): Homer's epic shot on IMAX film: Odysseus fights monsters and gods to get home to Ithaca.

Chronological order

  1. Following (set in A writer who shadows strangers): Nolan's black-and-white debut: a London writer tails strangers until a burglar recruits him.
  2. Memento (set in A man with no short-term memory): A man who cannot make new memories hunts his wife's killer, told in reverse with tattoos and Polaroids.
  3. Insomnia (set in Alaska under the midnight sun): An LA detective who cannot sleep under the Alaskan midnight sun is blackmailed by the killer he hunts.
  4. Batman Begins (set in Gotham City): Christopher Nolan's origin story; starts the Dark Knight trilogy.
  5. The Prestige (set in Rival magicians, 1890s London): Two Victorian stage magicians wreck each other's lives chasing the perfect vanishing act.
  6. The Dark Knight (set in Gotham City): Heath Ledger's Joker; the trilogy's centrepiece.
  7. Inception (set in Dreams within dreams): A heist inside dreams.
  8. The Dark Knight Rises (set in Gotham, eight years on): Ends the Dark Knight trilogy, eight years later.
  9. Interstellar (set in A wormhole near Saturn): Through a wormhole to save humanity.
  10. Dunkirk (set in May 1940): The 1940 evacuation told on land, at sea and in the air, each strand on a different clock.
  11. Tenet (set in Time running backwards): A CIA agent learns to move backwards through time to stop an oligarch from ending the world.
  12. Oppenheimer (set in Los Alamos): The physicist who led the atomic bomb project, from Los Alamos to the hearing that ruined him.
  13. The Odyssey (set in Odysseus sails home from Troy): Homer's epic shot on IMAX film: Odysseus fights monsters and gods to get home to Ithaca.

Common questions

What order should I watch the Christopher Nolan movies in?

Christopher Nolan's films don't share a story, so watch them in release order: Following (1998), Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet, Oppenheimer and The Odyssey (2026). The only connected films are his Dark Knight trilogy: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.

How many Christopher Nolan movies and shows are there?

There are 13 titles in the Christopher Nolan franchise: 13 films and 0 series, released from 1998 to 2026.

How long does it take to watch all the Christopher Nolan movies?

About 30 hours for all 13 titles, counting every episode.

What is the first Christopher Nolan title in chronological order?

Following, set in A writer who shadows strangers. In release order the first is Following (1998).