With Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan invites audiences to the biggest biopic ever made.

Score: 4.5/5

Let me ask you a question. What if the world was in grave danger and the only way to save it was to create that same means of danger to oppose it? That was the situation that Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer was faced with. Create a weapon so dangerous that it could destroy the world before the Nazis of Germany could. A movie about the father of the atomic bomb could have just focused on that race, but writer-director Christopher Nolan brought to the screen a story that focused on that question.

Make no mistake, this isn’t a movie about success in that is more about the tragedy of this impossible situation that Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer struggles with. The three-hour-long biopic jumps around the life of Oppenheimer before, during, and after his role as the head of the Manhattan Project that created the atomic bomb. The aftermath is quite key to the story this film sets out to tell as some of the largest moments come after they succeed in testing the first bomb’s detonation. As I watched the movie I checked my watch just once, after the Trinity Test, and was surprised to see there was still much more to come. This wasn’t a bad thing, but a twist on my own personal expectations of the focus of the film. The movie made me feel tense, frustrated, and ultimately sad at the conclusion that it rests before us. The ending is not just a commentary on what Oppenheimer brought into the world, but what the collective future of humanity might come to. It’s a powerful movie that isn’t going to leave my mind or heart anytime soon.

This was made possible by the masterful performance of Oppenheimer by Murphy. Finally having a chance to star in a Nolan film after many supporting roles Murphy gave it his all and it shows. He captures the torture behind those ocean blue eyes from the struggle of accepting what Oppenheimer has unleashed upon humanity. Another award worthy performance that stuck with me is Robert Downey Jr. playing Lewis Strauss. Wow is he a scene stealer in his limited screentime. I could feel his vindictive rage behind the calm, and it made for that much more powerful an ending. Speaking of the cast overall, this movie was stacked with so many top talent actors. The list is far too long with actors like Alden Ehrenreich playing an unnamed senate aide. It was wild.

The final Nolan staple that is in full force for this film is a score that wrenches up the emotions throughout. Composer Ludwig Göransson’s score builds the tension and intensity of the many impactful moments throughout. It’s the type of score you can listen to at home and feel the story play out through just music. It’s powerful and will certainly be in the conversation come award season.

Christopher Nolan’s career has been filled with ambitious blockbuster films with prestige laced throughout. He’s won numerous awards but has not yet cracked the Academy Awards. With Oppenheimer this might finally be the one that helps him take home that Best Director / Picture awards at the Oscars next year. He has sure earned it.