Critics Poll: ‘The Dark Knight’ Voted Christopher Nolan’s Best Film

NOTE: I’m bumping up this year-old poll given yesterday’s news.

OverOne hundred fifty critics voted on the best film directed by Christopher Nolan. The top vote-getter was the most obvious choice—and the biggest film of his career.

The blockbuster “The Dark Knight” topped the list. The “Batman” film, starring the late Heath Ledger, changed the industry when it was released in 2008 and catapulted Nolan’s career in ways that are still being felt today.

One look at the IMDb Top 250 reveals that 2014’s “Interstellar” has an incredible 8.6 rating. That’s good enough to rank as the 25th greatest film of all time on that list. And yet, the sci-fi epic barely made a dent in the poll, managing to amass only five votes from the 150 critics surveyed. This only further illustrates the disconnect between Nolan fans and critics.

In our critics poll, “Memento” came in at No. 2, but the biggest surprise was 2006’s underrated “The Prestige” finishing at No. 3—that film has clearly built up a major following in the years since its release. Rounding out the top five were “Dunkirk” (No. 4) and “Inception” (No. 5).

Two Nolan films did not garner a single vote: 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises” and 2020’s polarizing “Tenet.” In fact, even his 1998 debut, “Following,” was mentioned three times, while 2002’s “Insomnia” garnered two votes. Speaking of “Insomnia,” Nolan has gone on the record calling it the “most underrated” work of his career.

Throughout his remarkable career as a filmmaker, critics have not always been on board the Nolan train. That’s why the glowing reviews for “Oppenheimer” clearly mean something—it’s the most critically acclaimed film of his career, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see it top a similar poll a few years from now. It should also be noted that not every critic surveyed had seen “Oppenheimer.”

On a lighter note, one of Nolan’s most prominent detractors, National Review’s Armond White, selected “Man of Steel” as his pick, but “only because Nolan is listed as producer.”

Critics who participated were asked to submit just one film they considered to be Nolan’s best. “The Dark Knight” ultimately appeared on 25% of all ballots.

POLL RESULTS:

1. The Dark Knight (2008) — 30 votes
2. Memento (2000)— 23 votes
3. Dunkirk (2017) — 18 votes
4. The Prestige (2006) —17 votes
5. Inception (2010) — 13 votes
6. Oppenheimer (2023) — 13 votes
7. Interstellar (2014) — 5 votes
8. Following (1998) — 3 votes
9. Batman Begins (2005) 2 votes
10. Insomnia (2002) — 2 votes

FULL LIST OF CRITICS:

Thelma Adams (AARP), Kaleem Aftab (BFI), Carlos Aguilar (The Wrap), Ethan Alter (Yahoo Movies), Jeff Ames (Coming Soon), Jeffrey M. Anderson (SF Examiner), Fernando Andres (BFI), Edwin Arnaudin (mxArts), Michael Atkinson (The Village Voice), Nicolas Bell (IONCINEMA), Alex Billington (First Showing), Chuck Bowen (Style Weekly), Liz Braun (Toronto Sun), Matt Brunson (Film Frenzy), Jim Brunzell (Festival Director), Christopher Bumbray (JoBlo), David Cairns (Criterion), Zach Caruso (Freelance), Erik Childress (eFilmCritic), Daryl Chin (Film Comment), Nick Clement (Variety), Laura Clifford (Reeling Reviews) Adam Cook (CinemaScope), Ben Croll (The Wrap), Freja Dam (Sound Venue), Tony Dayoub (CinemaViewfinder), Peter DeBruge (Variety), Edward Douglas (Above the Line), Bilge Ebiri (Vulture), David Edelstein (Slate), Steven Erickson (Film Comment), Max Every (Slash Film), Marshall Fine (NYFCC), Jim Farmer (Festival Director), Scott Feinberg (THR), Daniel Fienberg (THR), Garth Franklin (Dark Horizons), Roger Friedman (Showbiz411), Jon Frosch (THR), Owen Gleiberman (Variety), Jaky Goldberg (Les Inrockuptibles), Bill Goodykoontz (AZ Republic), Karen Gordon (Freelance), David Greven (UofSC), Jason Guerrasio (Insider), Zaki Hasan (The Film Stage), Patrick Heidmann (Zeit), Barry Hertz (Globe and Mail), Matt Hoffman (Film School Rejects), Robert Horton (Film Comment), Peter Howell (Toronto Star), Andrea Hudson (Freelance), Jason Gorber (THAT SHELF), Matthew Jacobson (The AV Club), Richard T. Jameson (Film Comment), Mark Johnson (Awards Daily), Dave Karger (TCM), Elizabeth Karlin (Freelance), Don Kaye (Den of Geek), Peter Keough (Boston Phoenix), Jonathan Kiefer (Freelance), Robert Koehler (CinemaScope), Harry Knowles (Ain’t it Cool), Kevin Laforest (Extra Beurre), Joanna Langfield (The Movie Minute), Eric Lavallée (IONCINEMA), Marcos Levy (Freelance), Craig D. Lindsey (Nashville Scene), Wesley Lovell (Cinema Sight), Piers Marchant (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette), Eric Marchen (Rogers TV), Steven Mears (Film Comment), Amanda Mae Méyncke (Happiness Spells), Myron Meisel (LAFCA), Scott Mendelson (Forbes), Scott Menzel (We Live Entertainment), Jared Mobarak (The Film Stage), Rafael Motamayor (The Playlist), Matt Neglia (Next Best Picture), Michael Nordine (Paste Magazine), Brian Owens (Festival Director), Michael Patterson (Michael’s Telluride Blog), John Powers (Vogue), CJ Prince (The Film Stage), Mara Reinstein (US Weekly), Rene Rodriguez (Miami Herald), Timothy Rhys (MovieMaker), Jordan Ruimy (World of Reel), Nick Schafer (Slant Magazine), Christopher Schobert (The Film Stage), Niles Schwartz (Slant Magazine), Diego Semerene (Slant Magazine), Don Shanahan (Film Obsessive), Marlow Stern (The Daily Beast), Yael Shuv (Time Out Tel Aviv), Steven Shaviro (Professor), Viguen Shirvanian (Freelance), Alex Simon (Freelance), Amie Simon (Freelance), Jeff Simon (Buffalo News), Jeff Sneider (Above the Line), Tony Joe Stemme (Freelance), David Sterritt (Christian Science Monitor), Sara Stewart (New York Post), Ed Symkus (The Boston Globe), Bob Strauss (San Francisco Chronicle), Drew Taylor (The Wrap), Luke Y Thompson (The AV Club), Benjamin Tovias (Yedioth Ahronoth), Kent Turner (Film Forward), Mel Valentin (Screen Anarchy), Richard Von Busack (Freelance), Daniel Waters (Screenwriter), Max Weiss (Baltimore Magazine), Jeffrey Wells (Hollywood Elsewhere), Matthew Wilder (Filmmaker), Chuck Wilson (L.A. Weekly), Addison Wylie (Wire)