Christopher Nolan Names the 1990s Action Movies He Considers the Best of the Era

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Christopher Nolan became a major director at the start of the 21st century, quickly gaining a reputation for challenging how stories are told. His 2000 film, Memento, first demonstrated this, using a backwards-moving plot that forced viewers to solve a puzzle. Later, his Dark Knight trilogy revolutionized superhero movies, replacing exaggerated theatrics with a darker, more realistic and gothic style that Batman hadn’t seen before in film.

Christopher Nolan is known for his complex, thought-provoking films, but he’s just as skilled at creating thrilling action sequences. From the daring mountain assault in Inception to the explosive opening of The Dark Knight Rises, his movies have the energetic feel of classic action films.

This careful pacing and building suspense aren’t accidental; Nolan often points to 1990s action movies as his biggest inspiration. He especially admires Michael Mann’s 1995 crime film Heat.

Featuring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, Heat is famous for its realistic tactics and emotional impact. Nolan has called it an “absolute classic” and even admitted to borrowing heavily from it when creating the mood for The Dark Knight.

Another key influence for Nolan is the 1994 thriller Speed, starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. The film’s premise – a bus that explodes if it slows down – created intense, non-stop suspense, which Nolan called a “ticking-clock nail-biter.”

This idea of building tension through a relentless pace has become a signature element in his own films, like the interwoven storylines of Dunkirk and the high-stakes drama of Oppenheimer. Currently, as of February, Nolan is finishing post-production on his most ambitious project yet, The Odyssey.

Set to be released worldwide in IMAX on July 17th, the $250 million film is an epic action movie based on ancient Greek mythology – a first for Nolan. He’s again working with Matt Damon, who physically transformed to play the clever Odysseus and his dangerous ten-year journey home.

Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film, The Odyssey, boasts an incredibly impressive cast. Tom Holland will play Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, and Anne Hathaway will star as his loyal wife, Penelope. The film also features a huge ensemble of well-known actors, including Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, and Zendaya, with a brief cameo by Travis Scott. Filming for The Odyssey took place throughout 2025 in various locations around the world, including Iceland’s volcanic areas, the deserts of Morocco, and the ancient ruins of Greece and Sicily.

Known for embracing new technology, director Christopher Nolan famously shot The Odyssey using over two million feet of film – a first for a full-length feature film captured entirely with IMAX 70mm cameras.

He also utilized a newly designed, lighter camera system, allowing him to film on location in challenging environments, including at sea, to truly convey the immense and frightening scale of the journey.

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2026-02-12 23:14