1. Inception (2010)
Now we get to Nolans masterpiece. After the incredible critical and financial success of The Dark Knight, Nolan was given free reign by Warner to do what he wanted. What he delivered was his long gestating dream-inspired sci-fi, Inception. The film was a surprise hit. For an original, smart film to do so well around the world is testament to Nolans ability to craft startling images and approachable stories. A film with incredibly wide appeal, it was often praised (and in some cases criticised) for its overly complex nature. Now that isnt entirely true. Inception adopts a complex plot and through the timey-wimey workings of the world theres many events happening within the other, but in itself its not complicated; it just requires you to pay attention. The first half sets up all the key mechanics of the dream world and then wreaks havoc with them in the second half, readily assuming you've taken everything in. This leaves a good hour for the film to craft spectacular sequences without needless exposition; the brilliant scene with Joseph Gordon Levitts Arthur fighting militarised projections in a rotating corridor is one of the best film sequences of the decade so far. But amongst all the spectacle, the film is emotionally carried by Leonardo Di Caprio, playing the grieving Cobb. Like all great sci-fi, we can relate to the character, even though his situation is nothing like ours. His fractured mind visually bleeding into the heist through the form of trains and his deceased wife along with the shocking discovery of the original inception provide a great psychological backdrop to events, turning the action into tragedy. It is because we are so invested in him that we put so much weight on the often debated spinning top at the end. Ultimately, the reality of the ending doesnt matter; like Cobb with his children, we can accept the world as where he wants to be. Inception showed that there was an audience for brainy films that forced you to work to enjoy them, but more importantly it placed Nolan in the public consciousness as a great director.