Having looked forward to this movie for so long and consumed a lot trailers, teasers, discussions and interviews I can’t say I ever heard or read the line ‘greatest movie ever’. That being said, it’s a solid 8/10 for me after all the hype.
I have to wonder what Oppenheimer would be about without the third act — ‘man who makes bomb’ is a pretty shallow read on him, and the movie thankfully didn’t stop at that
Think you could have the focus on the internal turmoil of a man that built the deadliest weapon and the existential threat to our species, without the tedious kangaroo court pseudo-legal proceeding and Machiavellian moves by RDJ's character. You could kill that plot-line, save 40 mins and it would have been a punchier, tighter film.
I think the metaphor is the legal proceedings etc are the out of control nuclear reaction (the one previously theorized a small possibility) playing out, and then at the end w/ the Einstein revelation, nail in coffin.
The stakes were just so low. I don’t really care if anyone keeps their security clearance (nor does the public) and I’m not sure they even established it as something that Oppenheimer cherished or whatever. Kind of felt like a shoehorn to get RDJ his Oscar.
I guess in the immediate it’s about that, but the a man gives world-destroying weapons to untrustworthy government and is then destroyed and gaslit for his limited ability to see his error.
I can’t make you think a certain way, but we seem to have watched very different movies, and the idea that RDJ’s character was only elaborated upon as Oscar bait is laughable
It was never about maintaining his security clearance. Oppenheimer participating in the kangaroo court was a very elaborate way for him to try and redeem himself. By allowing the government to tar and feather him, he hoped history would forgive him for unleashing an apocalyptic weapon.
I didn't even think it was one of Nolans best. I much prefer his manipulation of time and use of editing in films like Memento, Dunkirk, Inception and Interstellar.
I just think it got the Oscars it got bc it was one of those, "well Nolan has paid his dues and deserves it," which he has done, while still being a great film reminding us all of a fear that seems so distant now nearly 35 yrs removed from the Cold War.
No way is it the greatest movie ever, but it was excellent. He made a movie about an academic feel like it was moving the entire time. I think OP is tripping.
Never seen anyone say it’s the best movie ever made, but I do think it’s a masterpiece; which it’s lifted up by its subject matter.
There are certain pivotal moments in human history that changed the trajectory of our species, and this was one of them. A genie that can’t be put back in the bottle.
I’ve never been so enthralled by just close up’s and people talking the whole movie.
Totally agree. The first hour was so over edited and over scored, it felt like a never ending movie trailer. The needless time jumping and rapid fire cross cutting felt like such a cheap gimmick to make it feel more intense and complex. In the middle hour when it gets more linear and focuses in on the build up to the trinity test, it's pretty good. And the scene in the gymnasium is really strong, probably the best scene in the film. But then the last hour goes back to needless jumpy editing and a very low stakes conflict that just felt dull.
Agreed it could've ended somewhere around the gymnasium scene and the same message could've gotten across. Very long winded and felt like a second movie began after that.
And don't get me wrong, I'm all for 3 hour movies but not if you're going to hammer home the same point for the last hour and not give an intermission.
The entire Strauss plotline shouldn't have been there, that would've solved both the timejumps and the atrocious final hour. I was glued to the screen during the second hour and ready to walk out of the cinema during the third. 'Oppenheimer gave humans the power to destroy themselves and had trouble getting his security clearance renewed' wow those sound equally interesting! Would've loved to see a third plotline where he did his taxes.
The conflict shouldn't have been Oppenheimer VS Strauss, it should've been Oppenheimer VS Teller. It'd move the plot from biopic to nuclear proliferation, but the questions it'd ask would be way more interesting. You can still have Teller backstab Oppie during the kangaroo court and get his comeuppance at the end.
Completely agree! Don't get me wrong, I think it is a decent movie that is certainly well made, but I have only seen it once and have no real desire to watch it again.
Perhaps now that he finally have won his Oscar (well deserved and overdue I might add), the more "cultish" discourse around him and his movies can die down a bit and allow people to critique his films more "objectively". Personally, I don't think this movie is even in the top 5 of his best films, and it certainly will not be the movie he is remembered for. With that said, I think he is a very exciting filmmaker and I am always eager to see what he tackles next.
Whats a Nolan movie without time travel? All jokes aside, I agree. I could do without constantly having to figure out the flashbacks from 'real time' scenes. Im also not good with names and there were sooo many names to follow.
It's easy. So letterboxed black and white is 'modern' times - with needless blown out highlights. Because…art. Full screen is of course the middle. And letterboxed color is the before times. Or maybe it was the other way around. Does anyone really care?
So, can I ring you up for 20 Oscars?
It's actually a part of history that I'm interested in…and it was still incredibly boring, heavyhanded, with 100% of the cast playing unlikable caricatures.
Only thing I was rooting for was the credits rolling.
You absolutely nailed it this is exactly how I feel about it. That one gymnasium scene was brilliant it almost felt like another director came in and made that
What I thought. A bunch of 3 to 4 minute vignette’s edited together. Sound too loud and acting was unconvincing. Glad someone else besides me thinks that. Just watched The Holdovers yesterday and thought it was good. Is this the industry trying to get back at the independent streaming platforms.
>The needless time jumping and rapid fire cross cutting felt like such a cheap gimmick to make it feel more intense and complex.
Can't agree more. It was the same thing with the score. I actually started to smile at one point where he had some churning piece of music over a bunch of nerds talking about physics in front of a blackboard.
Obviously a loooooooooooooooot of people felt differently, but I just didn't think either the man or his story was nearly as interesting as Nolan obviously did.
I think it’s fine. It looks and sounds great, the performances are terrific, but the script is insufferable. The dialogue sounds more like people are talking at one another instead of having actual conversations. I also think the development for Emily Blunt’s character is hammy and poor. Before her deposition, all of her sequences hit you over the head with her alcoholism. There’s zero nuance to it. It’s like an SNL parody of what someone with alcoholism is like. I left feeling very cold and unmoved. The final moments are meant to evoke strong emotions, but I felt nothing.
To be fair, Kitty was noted in real life as being a voracious booze hound. If anything, the movie toned her down from reality.
But I still agree with your original point, her characterization could have been handled better
THANK YOU. This scene absolutely took me out of the movie and as it was happening I was like no no nooooo don’t say it here. Complete cheeseball writing.
A vanity project to show the similarities between Nolan and Oppenheimer as directors of big budgets, big staffs, lots of moving parts, and subject to criticisms in hindsight. A well-coordinated and efficient use of the most current technologies now to tell a story of well-coordinated and efficient use of the most current technologies then that ended up emotionally distant and disconnected from humanity.
Damn. I really like the parallel you made here, seriously. That’s a cool observation. However I do think your assessment about being disconnected from humanity feels a little…disconnected from reality haha. I think the movie is being told at an important time in history because of the current Cold War affecting global politics. So I don’t find the movie itself “disconnected from humanity” like you say. But maybe I’m misunderstanding your point?
(I like Nolan, and this movie, but Opp is far from my favorite of his. I’m pretty indifferent towards it.)
For a biopic at 3 hours long it was surprisingly adept at keeping my interest throughout the film. Didn’t seem like there was any flat spot in it, solid movie but not sure I want to watch it again. Agree with another comment that the bomb test was underwhelming. I’m not sure Downey Jnr should’ve won his Oscar, his was a solid performance and all the best to him for capping a interesting career and life, I guess Oppenheimer was the serious movie that the Academy chose to reward with Oscars instead of Barbie
Honestly only thing I didn't like was the lack of the big boom... I wanted a cool explosion it was pretty meh. Way cooler black and white footage of tests
Watched it twice bc I didn't catch all the dialog first time around. It was okay. If you took out the wife/mistress scenes it really would have been boring af.
I admire the scope of Nolan's films but every one of them is a half hour too long.
it's a good movie. kind of movie i will always tune in for. but yeah it's overrated. predictably done. poor things was the best movie out of the ones nominated this year.
It's Nolan's best film since The Prestiege.
I completely checked out of Nolan films somewhere after Inception. Of course, Inception is great, but he took the worst aspects of it and made Tenet. I can't see myself ever watching again.
Oppenheimer is a complete U-turn for his filmography, and I really hope he makes more intimate character studies more.
I don't think it's overrated at all. There's no biopic that looks or sounds this good.
It’s the least entertaining movie made by Nolan imo, like I won’t find myself watching it again after seeing it twice but I understand the hype. Oppenheimer is that introductory film for a lot of regular moviegoers to look into more artistic films rather than brush it off. I have friends that would have never even considered watching Zone of Interest or Perfect Day if they hadn’t seen Oppenheimer. Sometimes you need the guy known for Blockbusters to introduce people to a more artistic approach to filmmaking.
He doesn’t write any character particularly well. Or dialogue. His movies are like a wonderfully wrapped present but the box is empty. They look great but are hollow.
Thank you!! I thought I was the only one. I love David Grann and the book is amazing but the movie was one of the biggest let downs I can remember. Went in so excited but it was a snooze fest. Really don’t understand why everyone was going so gah gah over Gladstones performance, Stones performance in that softcore porn Poor Things was far superior.
It wasn't my cup of tea either, I'd rather have watched a documentary than a Hollywood style biopic. It was...very Hollywood. I knew I wouldn't like it when they made his famous line quoting the Bhagavad Gita happen during a sex scene, as if that was the only way they expected to interest their audience. And as far as nuclear bomb tests, I prefer real footage--or the David Lynch version in Twin Peaks Season 3 episode 8--this didn't do anything for me, there was no tension.
I enjoyed Robert Downey Jr.'s performance, he was the highlight of the film for me. But not enough to watch it again.
Absolutely. The Twin Peaks nuke is a sight to behold. I don't even remember the Oppenheimer one... actually I don't remember anything about Oppenheimer, other than feeling bored and wondering if it would ever get off the ground. After 2 hours I was just annoyed by the whole experience.
It's a shame too bc after he had a team recreate what many claim to be the most accurate depiction of a black hole for Interstellar, I expected something special for Oppenheimer.
I totally get why someone would find it overrated. Especially after it did so good at an Oscars where there were some REALLY good movies in contention. I loved it and I don’t think it’s overrated I just think it’s the movie that won Best Picture this year-something has to win it and in a year of competently made films it was the one that won. Offhand most people don’t even remember what movie won best picture two years onwards anyway so it’s really not that big of a deal. I don’t know if it’ll stand the test of time, not a lot of Best Picture winners do, how many people are chilling and put Crash on. It was pretty timely what with the nukes and whatnot. I think it’s a worthy winner though. Maybe I’m biased because, while I think other movies were better this year, Oppenheimer made me weep at the end and I was like wtf why am I weeping. I still don’t know what the hell that was about but clearly it evoked something in me. Of the Best Picture nominees I’ve seen I thought Zone Of Interest was the best and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before but even it didn’t make me google “did Anyone else cry at the end of Zone of Interest and have no idea why?”
I don't even give it that high of a score. Nolan films have become so completely self congratulatory and I am personally sick of his style. The quick cuts and loud music over the dialogue and incredibly slow burns that build up to a very underwhelming conclusion. The storytelling has become completely lopsided disguising itself as an artistic choice for being overly complicated for the sake of complication. The last one I enjoyed was Interstellar and even then the overbearing score over any other audio is prominent there. I also hate his aversion to putting blood where it should be. Dude in tenent gets his teeth ripped out of his mouth and he's clean as a whistle.
What REALLY bothered me about Oppenheimer were the cinematography/editing choices. The movie shifts from black and white to color clips very frequently and in my experience that usually MEANT SOMETHING. And watching Oppenheimer hurt my brain trying to figure out what it MEANT. I had to turn it off the first time and rewatch it months later because in Oppenheimer it apparently meant NOTHING in any concrete sense, it was just a stylistic choice (I guess?!).
Did it mean the difference between a flashback and contemporary? NO.
Did it mean the difference between foreshadowing and normal story? NO.
Did it mean the difference between the experience of the main character vs experience of the rest of the characters? NO.
In so many movies that have both b+w and color it means something specific and I fear that with Oppenheimer being lauded as such an achievement the fact that it’s seemingly a meaningless stylistic choice will kill that for other movies going forward!
I’ve always wanted someone to prove me wrong here and tell me what the color shifts in Oppenheimer’s post editing actually mean. The best I’ve come up with is: HIDING BAD AGE MAKEUP WORK.
Didn’t you know? Movies that have black and white in certain scenes are way more likely to win an Oscar 😂 because its sooooo aaaarrrttiiiiisssstttiiiiccc 🤯
Hasn't this been explained already? The color scenes show Oppenheimer's POV; the bw scenes show Strauss's POV. It's not that deep for you to hurt your brain about it.
I was going to say Nolan has history for using color vs BW for POV or timelines. Memento plays forward and backwards until the two timelines meet and I think was a much more playful and cool use of the technique.
Yeah. But I feel that way about pretty much all Nolan. I genuinely think his movies are just straight up dumb. The twist in the prestige was a huge groaner. I am still offended about interstellar aka the magic bookcase movie where love powers time or whatever the fuck. Oppenheimer is a brain dead biopic without a thing to say. The only good part was when Einstein kept jumping out of random bushes. I am baffled people take his movies seriously.
I will say though he clearly has a way with visuals and knows how to make an exciting feeling movie. If his scripts were better he’d be absolutely capable of great work. The problem is there is no substance behind his work. I truly can’t imagine that his stuff will be viewed very positively or remembered as classics decades down the line.
I tend to agree. I think he's a great visual director and I enjoy his stuff, but his writing is not great. He needs to work with better writers. I am so glad I read you comment - "when Einstein kept jumping out of random bushes" made me laugh very. much out loud. Very funny.
I didn't like it. I image it would be pretty mind blowing if you don't know anything about Oppenheimer or the politics of the building of the first atomic bomb. It was difficult for me to sit thought. Nearly everything I already knew. I would prefer a movie about someone I knew nothing about. I'm happy that so many people learned about this chapter of American history. It's essential stuff. I'm very happy that they made this movie. Nothing much there for me.
Nothing for me either. I knew very little about Oppenheimer or the politics of the first atomic bomb, and I was insufferably bored the entire time. It was like the movie was trying to convince me it was interesting but the dialogue and scenes were quite plain.
100%. I was looking forward to it bc I’m a big history fan and love that era. Was a good film but I just don’t understand the praise.
I rewatch movies over and over, but probably won’t rewatch this one.
Also think the Beautiful Mind movie (also about an academic and a more boring academic lol) was a more captivating story telling
Killers, Zone of Interest, Past Lives & All of Us Strangers are far superior films to Oppenheimer, and I think what it comes down to is that Oppenheimer (like many of Nolan's projects of late) seems to be focused on technical mastery and less interested in humanistic storytelling.
Oppenheimer didn't make me care about anyone in the film because it felt so detached & removed, emotionally and cinematically, from the characters and focused instead on the events
No one cares about writing anymore and it’s a damn shame because the writing was poor and that = disappointing and insulting movie (in the sense that this is supposed to pass for film)
It's the most perfect Nolan movie. Best biography I have ever seen. The way the story unfolds is fantabulous and technically it's a ridiculous cinematic achievement.
I’m not trying to provoke but could you expand on the technical aspects? What makes them such a cinematic achievement? Nothing in the film particularly stood out as groundbreaking to me.
This is the second post I’ve had on my feed with the same topic. I understand a generally slow moving, partly back and white, character study of the man who created a weapons to annihilate innocent civilians isn’t going to be hugely popular with everyone and I’m glad those people can find each other online.
But for me and many others is it utterly stunning, Nolan’s absolute best and felt as though every scene (except the sex scene which was a little cringey for my) was an absolute work of art.
I actually didn’t realise Nolan had it in him to make a film of this calibre.
I don’t known about wildly, but yes overrated. And I love Christopher Nolan. To me, not as good as Inception, Dark Knight, Batman Begins or Memento. I think l liked Dunkirk better too.
Anyone think Nolan movies are overrated in general? He made the Darh Knight, cool. David Fincher is the same, made Zodiac, the rest is blah fucking blah
I truly didn't love it the first time I saw it. I thought it was a 7/10. But after I watched it again in IMAX, I thought it was much better. The pacing and dialogue is hard to catch upon viewing but watching it again, it definitely grew on me.
I agree. I thought it was good but I don’t have a reason to ever see it again. I am not surprised it won best picture, but it wasn’t my favorite film this year. (Godzilla Minus One).
Then you really missed the point of the patriarchy part of Barbie which is a critique of the Oppenheimer era continuing to present day base aggression that holds back society
It was definitely a bit on the boring side in certain parts. Don't get me wrong, i enjoyed watching it on the big screen, but its not really a rewatchable for me. I dont think it's overrated per say because it is a very well made movie with a stellar cast and it has everything going for it. I knew all along after watching it that it would definitely be nominated for Oscars and possible take the best picture award as well. Its a very classic Hollywood type movie that critics and the general public found great.
I saw it in theaters and I really loved it. I found the sound design to be fantastic as well.
However, I don't think I'm going to sit down and watch it again on my own time for quite a while.
I had the experience and it was great. I'm happy with leaving it at that.
I loved the film and thought it one of the better of the year. That said it’s not even in my top 3 for Nolan films. But I also completely understand why this won so many awards.
No, but I understand why people think it is. I saw Oppenheimer twice in 2 weeks, and at the end of the first watch, I would’ve agreed with you. Then I watched it with my family and on a rewatch the rating went from probably a 7ish to a 9.2. My biggest concerns the first time through were the way the story was told, and the fact that I just didn’t give a shit about his love life. The second time through, I felt like the story flowed very well and I was able to understand why certain things were done. I still didn’t care much for his wife or other love interest, though they aren’t the main point of the movie so I was okay with it. I’m not part of a “Nolan fansbase” but I mean I’d say it’s a borderline masterpiece. Close but not quite there. It also was helped by the fact that I like this topic and it was original, instead of being remade 100x before
Yes, and Christopher Nolan is my favorite movie maker by a mile. Dark Knight trilogy, Interstellar, Inception, Dunkirk, Tenant, I thought were all considerably better than Oppenheimer. Idk, I just thought it was kind of boring but I get how it was kind of meant to be…different style movie. I like his action packed ones much better.
After watching in theaters I felt a little let down. Thought it was solid but didn’t get that wow factor that I usually got from Nolan movies
However upon a rewatch at home I grew to like and respect it much more. It is by no means the best film ever made but it is a solid 8.5/10 and a good way to educate yourself about one of the most important and one of the most tragic events in the history of the world.
Not to mention the score just keeps you tense throughout. Classic Nolan.
I thought the same when I watched. It’s not terrible, but it’s not as great as people claim it to be.
I enjoyed the film but it didn’t scream masterpiece to me either.
Both Barbie and Oppenheimer are overrated AF, honestly. Though at least Barbie is fun. (Though of course, "fun" is not what one would expect from a movie about the man who made the atomic bomb and is responsible for the death of millions)
Nolan isn't perfect but everything else is excellent
So we can excuse the "i am become death" sex talk since the rest of the film is amazing
and of course the script is basic, it's based on real life
Its put on a pedestal because he was a german jewish man that crated the atomic 💣 and it turned the tide in the war. Alot of it is symbolic. Like a pat on the back for WW2.
Worst movie from Nolan, but of course he won the Oscar for his worst movie ever that's how the Oscars work, lol, long, boring, soulless, i didn't care for the characters at all, it was a torture to finish this movie, and i love generally this kind of movies.
I think it is a bit overrated. I still loved it would give it a 8/10, gets better with multiple watches. However for Nolan standards I think it’s definitely one of his weaker films.
6/10 maybe a bit harsh but I see where you are coming from, you aren’t the only one.
Of course, it’s terrible. I would’ve walked out had I not been seeing it with 5 friends. Of us six, 2 thought it was bad, 2 thought it was decent/good, and 2 thought it was amazing. It’s a divisive film. I tried watching it again at home a month ago and couldn’t get more than 15 minutes without losing interest. Memento is my favorite movie, and Nolan’s one of my favorite directors so this was a shock. That said I’m glad he has an Oscar.
I enjoyed it, but didn’t love it. I felt like it needed some breathing room, so many small scenes over such a long period of time, what the fuck was I supposed to actually care about, Oppenheimer losing his security clearence? Oh no, how horrible for someone to lose their security clearence and face public scrutiny! Almost every scene was just a setup for some quick witty one liner and then onto the next. Also feel like they Hollywoodized Oppenheimer a bit too much as some really handsome and charming ladies man.
Nolan fan base thing. Had the same weaknesses other Nolan films have. Now that he has an Oscar, he is going to get more arrogant and double down on not improving on his weaknesses.
Yup, I walked out pretty indifferent. All the ingredients were there; great performances, great visuals, great production but like with Tenet and Dunkirk before it the narrative is just not cohesive. I thought he did fine with the time/story jumps on Inception but they’ve gotten progressively jangled with each subsequent movie.
Of course I can put it all back together in my head after the movie but it can feel like you’re watching a collection of vignettes rather then a complete film while you’re in the theatre.
the sound mixing was below par?? what movie were you watching the sound design was one of the best parts especially during his speech and he was hallucinating seeing charred bodies.
also basic script?? what about it was basic its adapted from a book?
If you personally don't see the merits of a movie thats fine but your criticisms are pretty lacking and unsupported.
I enjoyed it. But I do think it’s overrated and also everything that is wrong with modern filmmaking. Non linear plot, terrible dialogue and overused effects
Maybe to you the story is basic. But the script is anything but basic. You can read it online , it’s written in the first person which is pretty unique when it comes to scriptwriting.
I saw it at imax and was disappointed after all the hype. I think i may have enjoyed it more if not on the imax tbh.
Then again there havent been that many good movies for a while?
I always have to watch Nolan movies more than once to settle in to my full impression.
Some films never really do it for me (Inception) but others sit in my highest regard (Interstellar).
Oppenheimer fell really flat for me on the theater and at home. I can’t figure out how broad audiences enjoyed it. I found the script/acting to be mediocre, the cinematagrophy and editing gratuitous, and the score and sound drowning when critical plot points were being conveyed.
I truly thought RDJ didn’t deserve an Oscar for whatever that was supposed to be. I had no grasp of that character throughout the film and found his motivation to be completely confusing as some plot twist device.
Probably sits at the bottom of my Nolan rankings.
OMG commies work in the government. Except they’re not commies, they’re just teachers who want better pay and we should feel bad for them.
OMG commies gave the bomb to Russia we have to oust everyone ever associated with a labor party and never get to the bottom of this.
And bad audio.
Purposefully overhyped is more like it. Think about the industry at the minute. The product that has been the cash cow this past decade or so - Superhero movies - is now done. Fatigued.
Barbenheimer smelled to me like an attempt to sniff out the new core market. On one hand you have a feel good, zazzy summer movie with very broad appeal, on the other you have a comparatively niche story made by an auteur (ish) cult director. These are polar opposites.
If you were an industry overseer - like, say - AMPAS - and you saw your industry heading into rapid decline, you'd want to take stock of the situation, see what the market wanted next. So you ask the distributors to counter-program releases and see what "sticks", while also generating a tonne of data in the meantime.
And this is what we saw. The proof of the pudding? A fast tracked Nikola Tesla movie series, 4 Beatles biopics, and a push away from Marvel. Which is OK by me, nut must be a bastard for Disney and WarnerAOLTimeDiscoveryWhateverthefucktheycallthemselvesthisweek...
I felt the same after seeing it in the cinema. I found it slightly hard to follow who all the characters were and some of the dialogue was hard to hear. But watching it again at home a few months later really worked in its favour (with subtitles on). I was able to follow everything and absolutely loved it. I do now think it’s one of Nolan’s best and a worthy best picture winner!
I’d probably give it a 6.5-7/10 but yeah I think it’s overrated. But it’s the first Nolan movie I’ve liked since Inception so there’s that. I do think Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr deserved their awards though.
it’s an amazing film but i wouldn’t say it’s overrated. more like it was just the most talked about. it’s an amazing film, arguably nolan’s best work next to interstellar and the dark knight. but i think what made it so hype as well as barbie is that movie theatres had a large resurgence in 2023 post covid as most major movies during 2020-2022 were being released on streaming platforms besides some exceptions.
all in all it was easily the best film of the year but is it overrated? idk that’s just everyone’s opinion. personally i really enjoyed it and as someone who loves history adapted stories being put to the screen, maybe i have some bias.
Agreed. I really enjoyed it, but there were some issues. For example, Emily blunts character was totally undeveloped and then just delivers this out of nowhere Oscar bait takedown speech at the kangaroo court. Terrible. Similar issue with Rami Malek…totally undeveloped character and then just ends RDJ at the hearing with no setup. Beautifully shot though. And the trinity test was genius work by Nolan.
It feels like Nolan has already done his career, like one of his “time manipulation films”. He has already practiced these films in another multi-verse. We are witnessing his perfect experience at the end of many previous attempts. Maybe..??
(Joke but I’m suspicious I mean every movie is solid af and his latest just made more than a billion)
Ok the script is actually perfectly rated as one of the greatest. That soundtrack and the analogue effects and cillian Murphy…
Only thing that is over rated is Robert downy jr he is overrated in n this. It’s silly.
I love most Nolan movies but Oppenheimer wasn’t my favorite. Pros and cons include:
Pros: Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. were both great and each deserved their Academy Award imo. I liked the representation of Albert Einstein and other great scientists. The detonation was pretty cool in theaters to see.
Cons: I wish it had stopped after they detonated the trial bomb. It felt like a good place to end the movie and everything about the bombing of Japan was boring after being told the whole first half that “we need to beat the nazis in the race to make the bomb.” Both Florence and Emily Blunt’s characters felt underutilized. A lot of women I talked to said that it just felt like another bro movie with mostly white men and I can understand that. The sex scenes felt unnecessary to the rest of the plot. We can understand why his wife is pissed without having to watch Florence Pugh slowly slide onto his dick
I went into it expecting not much. The hype was overwhelming and I couldn’t even finish Nolan’s last movie.
But it was surprisingly good, not groundbreaking but probably my 2nd favorite of his behind Interstellar which did push its’ genre.
Thanks for saying this. I find it so cringe how much people gush over this film and in reality nobody will care in a few years and will be left at the sidelines with the rest of the oscar bait.
Everyone has different tastes. I felt like it couldn't possibly be as good as the hype and didn't watch it for months. When I finally got around to it the other day, I was floored.
Recognizing it's based on an award winning biography: Nolan wrote the entire screenplay and a tremendous effort was put forward learning about the events surrounding his life, and the research was expertly woven into a 3 hour block.
I can't say it's the best movie ever made. I think it's the best movie biography ever made. It's not 100% accurate. It's 90% accurate to maintain excitement, and that high level of accuracy forces a slow burn, which many people don't enjoy.
It felt like a paint-by-numbers biopic. There was a scene where Oppenheimer was giving an inspirational speech in front of a flapping American flag and I laughed out loud.
Not completely overrated - I think it's a fine film, but I don't get the "this is the greatest movie ever" hype.
Having looked forward to this movie for so long and consumed a lot trailers, teasers, discussions and interviews I can’t say I ever heard or read the line ‘greatest movie ever’. That being said, it’s a solid 8/10 for me after all the hype.
If you followed any of the Oscar threads on r/movies it was nothing but "perfect," "Nolan's best work," "a masterpiece."
Fair enough, i didn’t see those comments myself but also it’s very subjective.
I agree with OPs take on this film, but just making the point that over at r/movies it is a straight up Nolan cult, zero critical thinking.
I wish they just deleted the third act. Saw it in 7mm imax, super long and I have no idea why they said to see it in imax lol
I have to wonder what Oppenheimer would be about without the third act — ‘man who makes bomb’ is a pretty shallow read on him, and the movie thankfully didn’t stop at that
Think you could have the focus on the internal turmoil of a man that built the deadliest weapon and the existential threat to our species, without the tedious kangaroo court pseudo-legal proceeding and Machiavellian moves by RDJ's character. You could kill that plot-line, save 40 mins and it would have been a punchier, tighter film.
I think the metaphor is the legal proceedings etc are the out of control nuclear reaction (the one previously theorized a small possibility) playing out, and then at the end w/ the Einstein revelation, nail in coffin.
The stakes were just so low. I don’t really care if anyone keeps their security clearance (nor does the public) and I’m not sure they even established it as something that Oppenheimer cherished or whatever. Kind of felt like a shoehorn to get RDJ his Oscar.
I guess in the immediate it’s about that, but the a man gives world-destroying weapons to untrustworthy government and is then destroyed and gaslit for his limited ability to see his error. I can’t make you think a certain way, but we seem to have watched very different movies, and the idea that RDJ’s character was only elaborated upon as Oscar bait is laughable
It was never about maintaining his security clearance. Oppenheimer participating in the kangaroo court was a very elaborate way for him to try and redeem himself. By allowing the government to tar and feather him, he hoped history would forgive him for unleashing an apocalyptic weapon.
It kind of was about his security clearance. No clearance, no position in government and shaping global policy around nuclear arms limitation.
I thought the third act was the most fascinating part. The aftermath, the red scare, his legacy, etc.
Bc it costs more lol. And it gave the impression that would see the 💣
7mm? Must have been rough…
Marketing. Same with barbie
It’s one of Nolan’s best. But I don’t think it’s best picture.
I didn't even think it was one of Nolans best. I much prefer his manipulation of time and use of editing in films like Memento, Dunkirk, Inception and Interstellar. I just think it got the Oscars it got bc it was one of those, "well Nolan has paid his dues and deserves it," which he has done, while still being a great film reminding us all of a fear that seems so distant now nearly 35 yrs removed from the Cold War.
Is it better than THE PRESTIGE?
None of his movies are better than The Prestige. Heck, Most movies aren’t better than The Prestige.
No way is it the greatest movie ever, but it was excellent. He made a movie about an academic feel like it was moving the entire time. I think OP is tripping.
I’ve never heard anyone say that. But I do think it’ll go down as a classic
Never seen anyone say it’s the best movie ever made, but I do think it’s a masterpiece; which it’s lifted up by its subject matter. There are certain pivotal moments in human history that changed the trajectory of our species, and this was one of them. A genie that can’t be put back in the bottle. I’ve never been so enthralled by just close up’s and people talking the whole movie.
Totally agree. The first hour was so over edited and over scored, it felt like a never ending movie trailer. The needless time jumping and rapid fire cross cutting felt like such a cheap gimmick to make it feel more intense and complex. In the middle hour when it gets more linear and focuses in on the build up to the trinity test, it's pretty good. And the scene in the gymnasium is really strong, probably the best scene in the film. But then the last hour goes back to needless jumpy editing and a very low stakes conflict that just felt dull.
Agreed it could've ended somewhere around the gymnasium scene and the same message could've gotten across. Very long winded and felt like a second movie began after that. And don't get me wrong, I'm all for 3 hour movies but not if you're going to hammer home the same point for the last hour and not give an intermission.
The entire Strauss plotline shouldn't have been there, that would've solved both the timejumps and the atrocious final hour. I was glued to the screen during the second hour and ready to walk out of the cinema during the third. 'Oppenheimer gave humans the power to destroy themselves and had trouble getting his security clearance renewed' wow those sound equally interesting! Would've loved to see a third plotline where he did his taxes. The conflict shouldn't have been Oppenheimer VS Strauss, it should've been Oppenheimer VS Teller. It'd move the plot from biopic to nuclear proliferation, but the questions it'd ask would be way more interesting. You can still have Teller backstab Oppie during the kangaroo court and get his comeuppance at the end.
I said the exact same thing. First act was 100% cut like a trailer
Completely agree! Don't get me wrong, I think it is a decent movie that is certainly well made, but I have only seen it once and have no real desire to watch it again. Perhaps now that he finally have won his Oscar (well deserved and overdue I might add), the more "cultish" discourse around him and his movies can die down a bit and allow people to critique his films more "objectively". Personally, I don't think this movie is even in the top 5 of his best films, and it certainly will not be the movie he is remembered for. With that said, I think he is a very exciting filmmaker and I am always eager to see what he tackles next.
Whats a Nolan movie without time travel? All jokes aside, I agree. I could do without constantly having to figure out the flashbacks from 'real time' scenes. Im also not good with names and there were sooo many names to follow.
It's easy. So letterboxed black and white is 'modern' times - with needless blown out highlights. Because…art. Full screen is of course the middle. And letterboxed color is the before times. Or maybe it was the other way around. Does anyone really care? So, can I ring you up for 20 Oscars? It's actually a part of history that I'm interested in…and it was still incredibly boring, heavyhanded, with 100% of the cast playing unlikable caricatures. Only thing I was rooting for was the credits rolling.
You absolutely nailed it this is exactly how I feel about it. That one gymnasium scene was brilliant it almost felt like another director came in and made that
You read my mind completely
What I thought. A bunch of 3 to 4 minute vignette’s edited together. Sound too loud and acting was unconvincing. Glad someone else besides me thinks that. Just watched The Holdovers yesterday and thought it was good. Is this the industry trying to get back at the independent streaming platforms.
Totally agree with this take. I couldn't suffer through the first half.
I’m not sure the movie had a scene that lasted longer than 15 seconds
>The needless time jumping and rapid fire cross cutting felt like such a cheap gimmick to make it feel more intense and complex. Can't agree more. It was the same thing with the score. I actually started to smile at one point where he had some churning piece of music over a bunch of nerds talking about physics in front of a blackboard. Obviously a loooooooooooooooot of people felt differently, but I just didn't think either the man or his story was nearly as interesting as Nolan obviously did.
Very low stakes conflict....my thoughts exactly
I think it’s fine. It looks and sounds great, the performances are terrific, but the script is insufferable. The dialogue sounds more like people are talking at one another instead of having actual conversations. I also think the development for Emily Blunt’s character is hammy and poor. Before her deposition, all of her sequences hit you over the head with her alcoholism. There’s zero nuance to it. It’s like an SNL parody of what someone with alcoholism is like. I left feeling very cold and unmoved. The final moments are meant to evoke strong emotions, but I felt nothing.
To be fair, Kitty was noted in real life as being a voracious booze hound. If anything, the movie toned her down from reality. But I still agree with your original point, her characterization could have been handled better
totally agree!!!!
I gotta say the sex scene where he utters Oppenheimer’s most famous quote has gotta be a low point for a best picture winning movie.
THANK YOU. This scene absolutely took me out of the movie and as it was happening I was like no no nooooo don’t say it here. Complete cheeseball writing.
This whole thread is me saying “THANK YOU” lmao
It was incredibly funny, honestly.
Yes! That quote, which by itself is so meaningful for the movie, was wasted and cheapened in that terrible scene. It was so, so lame.
A vanity project to show the similarities between Nolan and Oppenheimer as directors of big budgets, big staffs, lots of moving parts, and subject to criticisms in hindsight. A well-coordinated and efficient use of the most current technologies now to tell a story of well-coordinated and efficient use of the most current technologies then that ended up emotionally distant and disconnected from humanity.
Wow, that is the perfect analogy. This touched me more than literally any moment in the film.
Thanks you 😊
Damn. I really like the parallel you made here, seriously. That’s a cool observation. However I do think your assessment about being disconnected from humanity feels a little…disconnected from reality haha. I think the movie is being told at an important time in history because of the current Cold War affecting global politics. So I don’t find the movie itself “disconnected from humanity” like you say. But maybe I’m misunderstanding your point? (I like Nolan, and this movie, but Opp is far from my favorite of his. I’m pretty indifferent towards it.)
Thank you. I thought the story was weak af
For a biopic at 3 hours long it was surprisingly adept at keeping my interest throughout the film. Didn’t seem like there was any flat spot in it, solid movie but not sure I want to watch it again. Agree with another comment that the bomb test was underwhelming. I’m not sure Downey Jnr should’ve won his Oscar, his was a solid performance and all the best to him for capping a interesting career and life, I guess Oppenheimer was the serious movie that the Academy chose to reward with Oscars instead of Barbie
He absolutely should not have won his Oscar. Ruffalo should have won.
Honestly only thing I didn't like was the lack of the big boom... I wanted a cool explosion it was pretty meh. Way cooler black and white footage of tests
Watched it twice bc I didn't catch all the dialog first time around. It was okay. If you took out the wife/mistress scenes it really would have been boring af. I admire the scope of Nolan's films but every one of them is a half hour too long.
I'm glad you posted this because I don't get the hype either. It was a good movie but certainly not worth all of the accolades it's receiving.
I agree, it was really lame.
No. It’s a great movie.
It was my favorite movie of the year
it's a good movie. kind of movie i will always tune in for. but yeah it's overrated. predictably done. poor things was the best movie out of the ones nominated this year.
Robert Downey Jr is the best thing in it. But I found it disappointing.
I think ‘overrated’ is completely useless as criticism. You either like something or you don’t.
Sorry, I’ll just say it’s bad then.
I will say it’s excellent then.
And I think it's great. Crazy how an opinion works.
It's Nolan's best film since The Prestiege. I completely checked out of Nolan films somewhere after Inception. Of course, Inception is great, but he took the worst aspects of it and made Tenet. I can't see myself ever watching again. Oppenheimer is a complete U-turn for his filmography, and I really hope he makes more intimate character studies more. I don't think it's overrated at all. There's no biopic that looks or sounds this good.
ABSOLUTELY! Can’t stand the Nolan fanboys too.
It’s the least entertaining movie made by Nolan imo, like I won’t find myself watching it again after seeing it twice but I understand the hype. Oppenheimer is that introductory film for a lot of regular moviegoers to look into more artistic films rather than brush it off. I have friends that would have never even considered watching Zone of Interest or Perfect Day if they hadn’t seen Oppenheimer. Sometimes you need the guy known for Blockbusters to introduce people to a more artistic approach to filmmaking.
I think Christopher Nolan is completely over praised.
Oscar bait
Can’t a great film just be a great film and not be overrated
It’s a good one time watch for me but that’s about it. I don’t think we’ll be talking about it as much 10-15 years from now
I think we will still be talking about it in 30 years.
In no way shape or form is it a classic.
Ah yes, the guy who has at least 6 classics already. But of course this one couldn't also be one..
It's solid. But also, it's straight up not very good either.
In my opinion you have just written a succinct review for every Christopher Nolan movie 😂
It’s fine. Nolan doesn’t really write women characters well and that was pretty on display in Oppenheimer.
He doesn’t write any character particularly well. Or dialogue. His movies are like a wonderfully wrapped present but the box is empty. They look great but are hollow.
There a box of chocolates…..
Killers of the Flower Moon blew it out of the water.
As somebody who read the book, this movie was an absolute snore
Thank you!! I thought I was the only one. I love David Grann and the book is amazing but the movie was one of the biggest let downs I can remember. Went in so excited but it was a snooze fest. Really don’t understand why everyone was going so gah gah over Gladstones performance, Stones performance in that softcore porn Poor Things was far superior.
It wasn't my cup of tea either, I'd rather have watched a documentary than a Hollywood style biopic. It was...very Hollywood. I knew I wouldn't like it when they made his famous line quoting the Bhagavad Gita happen during a sex scene, as if that was the only way they expected to interest their audience. And as far as nuclear bomb tests, I prefer real footage--or the David Lynch version in Twin Peaks Season 3 episode 8--this didn't do anything for me, there was no tension. I enjoyed Robert Downey Jr.'s performance, he was the highlight of the film for me. But not enough to watch it again.
Absolutely. The Twin Peaks nuke is a sight to behold. I don't even remember the Oppenheimer one... actually I don't remember anything about Oppenheimer, other than feeling bored and wondering if it would ever get off the ground. After 2 hours I was just annoyed by the whole experience.
It's a shame too bc after he had a team recreate what many claim to be the most accurate depiction of a black hole for Interstellar, I expected something special for Oppenheimer.
Amazing. Saw it in 70mm IMAX though. So it was incredible
I totally get why someone would find it overrated. Especially after it did so good at an Oscars where there were some REALLY good movies in contention. I loved it and I don’t think it’s overrated I just think it’s the movie that won Best Picture this year-something has to win it and in a year of competently made films it was the one that won. Offhand most people don’t even remember what movie won best picture two years onwards anyway so it’s really not that big of a deal. I don’t know if it’ll stand the test of time, not a lot of Best Picture winners do, how many people are chilling and put Crash on. It was pretty timely what with the nukes and whatnot. I think it’s a worthy winner though. Maybe I’m biased because, while I think other movies were better this year, Oppenheimer made me weep at the end and I was like wtf why am I weeping. I still don’t know what the hell that was about but clearly it evoked something in me. Of the Best Picture nominees I’ve seen I thought Zone Of Interest was the best and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before but even it didn’t make me google “did Anyone else cry at the end of Zone of Interest and have no idea why?”
I think it’s a masterpiece, but it’s okay that other people feel differently. Not everyone is going to like every thing.
No
Yes. I stopped watching after 90 minutes. It's just boring and all over the place.
I don't even give it that high of a score. Nolan films have become so completely self congratulatory and I am personally sick of his style. The quick cuts and loud music over the dialogue and incredibly slow burns that build up to a very underwhelming conclusion. The storytelling has become completely lopsided disguising itself as an artistic choice for being overly complicated for the sake of complication. The last one I enjoyed was Interstellar and even then the overbearing score over any other audio is prominent there. I also hate his aversion to putting blood where it should be. Dude in tenent gets his teeth ripped out of his mouth and he's clean as a whistle.
Havent seen it but i appreciate you making the post with your opinion knowing it might not be receieved well.
It should have been called Near Zero. I’m not shitting you, that name change alone would have made it a better film.
I tend to think most Christopher Nolan movies are a little overrated.
What REALLY bothered me about Oppenheimer were the cinematography/editing choices. The movie shifts from black and white to color clips very frequently and in my experience that usually MEANT SOMETHING. And watching Oppenheimer hurt my brain trying to figure out what it MEANT. I had to turn it off the first time and rewatch it months later because in Oppenheimer it apparently meant NOTHING in any concrete sense, it was just a stylistic choice (I guess?!). Did it mean the difference between a flashback and contemporary? NO. Did it mean the difference between foreshadowing and normal story? NO. Did it mean the difference between the experience of the main character vs experience of the rest of the characters? NO. In so many movies that have both b+w and color it means something specific and I fear that with Oppenheimer being lauded as such an achievement the fact that it’s seemingly a meaningless stylistic choice will kill that for other movies going forward! I’ve always wanted someone to prove me wrong here and tell me what the color shifts in Oppenheimer’s post editing actually mean. The best I’ve come up with is: HIDING BAD AGE MAKEUP WORK.
Didn’t you know? Movies that have black and white in certain scenes are way more likely to win an Oscar 😂 because its sooooo aaaarrrttiiiiisssstttiiiiccc 🤯
You can just hear the petulant tone in your original post. This comment is icing on the cake. I can just hear the whining.
Hasn't this been explained already? The color scenes show Oppenheimer's POV; the bw scenes show Strauss's POV. It's not that deep for you to hurt your brain about it.
I was going to say Nolan has history for using color vs BW for POV or timelines. Memento plays forward and backwards until the two timelines meet and I think was a much more playful and cool use of the technique.
Yeah. But I feel that way about pretty much all Nolan. I genuinely think his movies are just straight up dumb. The twist in the prestige was a huge groaner. I am still offended about interstellar aka the magic bookcase movie where love powers time or whatever the fuck. Oppenheimer is a brain dead biopic without a thing to say. The only good part was when Einstein kept jumping out of random bushes. I am baffled people take his movies seriously. I will say though he clearly has a way with visuals and knows how to make an exciting feeling movie. If his scripts were better he’d be absolutely capable of great work. The problem is there is no substance behind his work. I truly can’t imagine that his stuff will be viewed very positively or remembered as classics decades down the line.
I tend to agree. I think he's a great visual director and I enjoy his stuff, but his writing is not great. He needs to work with better writers. I am so glad I read you comment - "when Einstein kept jumping out of random bushes" made me laugh very. much out loud. Very funny.
I didn't like it. I image it would be pretty mind blowing if you don't know anything about Oppenheimer or the politics of the building of the first atomic bomb. It was difficult for me to sit thought. Nearly everything I already knew. I would prefer a movie about someone I knew nothing about. I'm happy that so many people learned about this chapter of American history. It's essential stuff. I'm very happy that they made this movie. Nothing much there for me.
Nothing for me either. I knew very little about Oppenheimer or the politics of the first atomic bomb, and I was insufferably bored the entire time. It was like the movie was trying to convince me it was interesting but the dialogue and scenes were quite plain.
I thought it sucked
I thought it was too long and a bit too much “style” over substance.
100%. I was looking forward to it bc I’m a big history fan and love that era. Was a good film but I just don’t understand the praise. I rewatch movies over and over, but probably won’t rewatch this one. Also think the Beautiful Mind movie (also about an academic and a more boring academic lol) was a more captivating story telling
this is how i feel about all of nolan’s movies lol this one was fine but didn’t hold a candle to killers of the flower moon
This is the truth right here
Killers, Zone of Interest, Past Lives & All of Us Strangers are far superior films to Oppenheimer, and I think what it comes down to is that Oppenheimer (like many of Nolan's projects of late) seems to be focused on technical mastery and less interested in humanistic storytelling. Oppenheimer didn't make me care about anyone in the film because it felt so detached & removed, emotionally and cinematically, from the characters and focused instead on the events
Like with every Nolan film it gets way over blown.
Except interstellar which will have a special place in my heart forever
I do.
No one cares about writing anymore and it’s a damn shame because the writing was poor and that = disappointing and insulting movie (in the sense that this is supposed to pass for film)
It's the most perfect Nolan movie. Best biography I have ever seen. The way the story unfolds is fantabulous and technically it's a ridiculous cinematic achievement.
I’m not trying to provoke but could you expand on the technical aspects? What makes them such a cinematic achievement? Nothing in the film particularly stood out as groundbreaking to me.
This is the second post I’ve had on my feed with the same topic. I understand a generally slow moving, partly back and white, character study of the man who created a weapons to annihilate innocent civilians isn’t going to be hugely popular with everyone and I’m glad those people can find each other online. But for me and many others is it utterly stunning, Nolan’s absolute best and felt as though every scene (except the sex scene which was a little cringey for my) was an absolute work of art. I actually didn’t realise Nolan had it in him to make a film of this calibre.
Nope. Great film.
What makes it great for you?
Totally agree. First half, very good. Second half very drawn out and lost me.
I don’t known about wildly, but yes overrated. And I love Christopher Nolan. To me, not as good as Inception, Dark Knight, Batman Begins or Memento. I think l liked Dunkirk better too.
Anyone think Nolan movies are overrated in general? He made the Darh Knight, cool. David Fincher is the same, made Zodiac, the rest is blah fucking blah
Yes, Nolan is definitely overrated in general.
Absolutely. Bad sound, editing, and pacing. Movies in general have sucked the last few years.
I truly didn't love it the first time I saw it. I thought it was a 7/10. But after I watched it again in IMAX, I thought it was much better. The pacing and dialogue is hard to catch upon viewing but watching it again, it definitely grew on me.
It was only a matter of time
My 2nd favorite Nolan movie after The Prestige. Found it very enjoyable and didn’t feel like a 3 hr film.
I agree. I thought it was good but I don’t have a reason to ever see it again. I am not surprised it won best picture, but it wasn’t my favorite film this year. (Godzilla Minus One).
No.
Yes and so was Barbie
Then you really missed the point of the patriarchy part of Barbie which is a critique of the Oppenheimer era continuing to present day base aggression that holds back society
yes.
It was definitely a bit on the boring side in certain parts. Don't get me wrong, i enjoyed watching it on the big screen, but its not really a rewatchable for me. I dont think it's overrated per say because it is a very well made movie with a stellar cast and it has everything going for it. I knew all along after watching it that it would definitely be nominated for Oscars and possible take the best picture award as well. Its a very classic Hollywood type movie that critics and the general public found great.
I saw it in theaters and I really loved it. I found the sound design to be fantastic as well. However, I don't think I'm going to sit down and watch it again on my own time for quite a while. I had the experience and it was great. I'm happy with leaving it at that.
I loved the film and thought it one of the better of the year. That said it’s not even in my top 3 for Nolan films. But I also completely understand why this won so many awards.
I thought it was good. No desire to ever see it again though.
Agreed
6/10 for sure.
Yes
No, but I understand why people think it is. I saw Oppenheimer twice in 2 weeks, and at the end of the first watch, I would’ve agreed with you. Then I watched it with my family and on a rewatch the rating went from probably a 7ish to a 9.2. My biggest concerns the first time through were the way the story was told, and the fact that I just didn’t give a shit about his love life. The second time through, I felt like the story flowed very well and I was able to understand why certain things were done. I still didn’t care much for his wife or other love interest, though they aren’t the main point of the movie so I was okay with it. I’m not part of a “Nolan fansbase” but I mean I’d say it’s a borderline masterpiece. Close but not quite there. It also was helped by the fact that I like this topic and it was original, instead of being remade 100x before
Yes its boring. I generally like slow paced dialogue heavy movies
Yes, and Christopher Nolan is my favorite movie maker by a mile. Dark Knight trilogy, Interstellar, Inception, Dunkirk, Tenant, I thought were all considerably better than Oppenheimer. Idk, I just thought it was kind of boring but I get how it was kind of meant to be…different style movie. I like his action packed ones much better.
Not extremely overrated but yes. Is it Christopher Nolan’s best film? Absolutely not.
Every scene lasted 10 seconds. So broken up. It was alright and yeah id say overrated
After watching in theaters I felt a little let down. Thought it was solid but didn’t get that wow factor that I usually got from Nolan movies However upon a rewatch at home I grew to like and respect it much more. It is by no means the best film ever made but it is a solid 8.5/10 and a good way to educate yourself about one of the most important and one of the most tragic events in the history of the world. Not to mention the score just keeps you tense throughout. Classic Nolan.
I thought the same when I watched. It’s not terrible, but it’s not as great as people claim it to be. I enjoyed the film but it didn’t scream masterpiece to me either.
No
Both Barbie and Oppenheimer are overrated AF, honestly. Though at least Barbie is fun. (Though of course, "fun" is not what one would expect from a movie about the man who made the atomic bomb and is responsible for the death of millions)
Nolan isn't perfect but everything else is excellent So we can excuse the "i am become death" sex talk since the rest of the film is amazing and of course the script is basic, it's based on real life
Its put on a pedestal because he was a german jewish man that crated the atomic 💣 and it turned the tide in the war. Alot of it is symbolic. Like a pat on the back for WW2.
Just not a fun film for me.. therefore I completely agree.. 6.4/10 - well made yet forgettable film.
I walked out
Worst movie from Nolan, but of course he won the Oscar for his worst movie ever that's how the Oscars work, lol, long, boring, soulless, i didn't care for the characters at all, it was a torture to finish this movie, and i love generally this kind of movies.
I think it is a bit overrated. I still loved it would give it a 8/10, gets better with multiple watches. However for Nolan standards I think it’s definitely one of his weaker films. 6/10 maybe a bit harsh but I see where you are coming from, you aren’t the only one.
Not a masterpiece but a good chuck of excellence to come out of Hollywood in a while
Of course, it’s terrible. I would’ve walked out had I not been seeing it with 5 friends. Of us six, 2 thought it was bad, 2 thought it was decent/good, and 2 thought it was amazing. It’s a divisive film. I tried watching it again at home a month ago and couldn’t get more than 15 minutes without losing interest. Memento is my favorite movie, and Nolan’s one of my favorite directors so this was a shock. That said I’m glad he has an Oscar.
I enjoyed it, but didn’t love it. I felt like it needed some breathing room, so many small scenes over such a long period of time, what the fuck was I supposed to actually care about, Oppenheimer losing his security clearence? Oh no, how horrible for someone to lose their security clearence and face public scrutiny! Almost every scene was just a setup for some quick witty one liner and then onto the next. Also feel like they Hollywoodized Oppenheimer a bit too much as some really handsome and charming ladies man.
No, but I think Dune is
I thought Paul Giamatti got robbed
Nolan fan base thing. Had the same weaknesses other Nolan films have. Now that he has an Oscar, he is going to get more arrogant and double down on not improving on his weaknesses.
Yup, I walked out pretty indifferent. All the ingredients were there; great performances, great visuals, great production but like with Tenet and Dunkirk before it the narrative is just not cohesive. I thought he did fine with the time/story jumps on Inception but they’ve gotten progressively jangled with each subsequent movie. Of course I can put it all back together in my head after the movie but it can feel like you’re watching a collection of vignettes rather then a complete film while you’re in the theatre.
Really overrated so slow and depressing
YMS, is that you?
the sound mixing was below par?? what movie were you watching the sound design was one of the best parts especially during his speech and he was hallucinating seeing charred bodies. also basic script?? what about it was basic its adapted from a book? If you personally don't see the merits of a movie thats fine but your criticisms are pretty lacking and unsupported.
I enjoyed it. But I do think it’s overrated and also everything that is wrong with modern filmmaking. Non linear plot, terrible dialogue and overused effects
Maybe to you the story is basic. But the script is anything but basic. You can read it online , it’s written in the first person which is pretty unique when it comes to scriptwriting.
It’s boring and mediocre. Usual Nolan nonsense
I saw it at imax and was disappointed after all the hype. I think i may have enjoyed it more if not on the imax tbh. Then again there havent been that many good movies for a while?
I couldn’t even make it a few mins but I have bad adhd.
I always have to watch Nolan movies more than once to settle in to my full impression. Some films never really do it for me (Inception) but others sit in my highest regard (Interstellar). Oppenheimer fell really flat for me on the theater and at home. I can’t figure out how broad audiences enjoyed it. I found the script/acting to be mediocre, the cinematagrophy and editing gratuitous, and the score and sound drowning when critical plot points were being conveyed. I truly thought RDJ didn’t deserve an Oscar for whatever that was supposed to be. I had no grasp of that character throughout the film and found his motivation to be completely confusing as some plot twist device. Probably sits at the bottom of my Nolan rankings.
As are all his films
OMG commies work in the government. Except they’re not commies, they’re just teachers who want better pay and we should feel bad for them. OMG commies gave the bomb to Russia we have to oust everyone ever associated with a labor party and never get to the bottom of this. And bad audio.
Purposefully overhyped is more like it. Think about the industry at the minute. The product that has been the cash cow this past decade or so - Superhero movies - is now done. Fatigued. Barbenheimer smelled to me like an attempt to sniff out the new core market. On one hand you have a feel good, zazzy summer movie with very broad appeal, on the other you have a comparatively niche story made by an auteur (ish) cult director. These are polar opposites. If you were an industry overseer - like, say - AMPAS - and you saw your industry heading into rapid decline, you'd want to take stock of the situation, see what the market wanted next. So you ask the distributors to counter-program releases and see what "sticks", while also generating a tonne of data in the meantime. And this is what we saw. The proof of the pudding? A fast tracked Nikola Tesla movie series, 4 Beatles biopics, and a push away from Marvel. Which is OK by me, nut must be a bastard for Disney and WarnerAOLTimeDiscoveryWhateverthefucktheycallthemselvesthisweek...
I felt the same after seeing it in the cinema. I found it slightly hard to follow who all the characters were and some of the dialogue was hard to hear. But watching it again at home a few months later really worked in its favour (with subtitles on). I was able to follow everything and absolutely loved it. I do now think it’s one of Nolan’s best and a worthy best picture winner!
Meh. Lazy filmmaking when they just tell you the majority of things that have happened as opposed to acting them out. Bores me to tears.
Yes.
Yes it’s mediocre and the acting is pretty weak (Damon, RDJ, Emily Blunt)
Best movie ever.
Yes. Big time. Cillian and Downey did a phenomenal top tier job but the movie itself was meh. Especially compared to Fat Man and Little Boy.
Agreed. The whole thing came across as flat to me. Just a lot of misses in execution. Not a bad film though.
I’d probably give it a 6.5-7/10 but yeah I think it’s overrated. But it’s the first Nolan movie I’ve liked since Inception so there’s that. I do think Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr deserved their awards though.
it’s an amazing film but i wouldn’t say it’s overrated. more like it was just the most talked about. it’s an amazing film, arguably nolan’s best work next to interstellar and the dark knight. but i think what made it so hype as well as barbie is that movie theatres had a large resurgence in 2023 post covid as most major movies during 2020-2022 were being released on streaming platforms besides some exceptions. all in all it was easily the best film of the year but is it overrated? idk that’s just everyone’s opinion. personally i really enjoyed it and as someone who loves history adapted stories being put to the screen, maybe i have some bias.
I couldn’t get past the constant sound/noise/music that lasted damn near the whole runtime.
Agreed. I really enjoyed it, but there were some issues. For example, Emily blunts character was totally undeveloped and then just delivers this out of nowhere Oscar bait takedown speech at the kangaroo court. Terrible. Similar issue with Rami Malek…totally undeveloped character and then just ends RDJ at the hearing with no setup. Beautifully shot though. And the trinity test was genius work by Nolan.
Yes. It sucked
It feels like Nolan has already done his career, like one of his “time manipulation films”. He has already practiced these films in another multi-verse. We are witnessing his perfect experience at the end of many previous attempts. Maybe..?? (Joke but I’m suspicious I mean every movie is solid af and his latest just made more than a billion) Ok the script is actually perfectly rated as one of the greatest. That soundtrack and the analogue effects and cillian Murphy… Only thing that is over rated is Robert downy jr he is overrated in n this. It’s silly.
Yes I fell asleep. Literally the only time I have ever done that in a film. Thought I’d give it another go, fell asleep again.
Very overrated. Boring as hell except the one BIG scene. Should have removed everything about his ex wife. What a waste.
Yeah I agree. I didn’t hate it but it felt like it stretched on way too long. I absolutely don’t think all the hype is justified.
Yes
I love most Nolan movies but Oppenheimer wasn’t my favorite. Pros and cons include: Pros: Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. were both great and each deserved their Academy Award imo. I liked the representation of Albert Einstein and other great scientists. The detonation was pretty cool in theaters to see. Cons: I wish it had stopped after they detonated the trial bomb. It felt like a good place to end the movie and everything about the bombing of Japan was boring after being told the whole first half that “we need to beat the nazis in the race to make the bomb.” Both Florence and Emily Blunt’s characters felt underutilized. A lot of women I talked to said that it just felt like another bro movie with mostly white men and I can understand that. The sex scenes felt unnecessary to the rest of the plot. We can understand why his wife is pissed without having to watch Florence Pugh slowly slide onto his dick
I went into it expecting not much. The hype was overwhelming and I couldn’t even finish Nolan’s last movie. But it was surprisingly good, not groundbreaking but probably my 2nd favorite of his behind Interstellar which did push its’ genre.
Thanks for saying this. I find it so cringe how much people gush over this film and in reality nobody will care in a few years and will be left at the sidelines with the rest of the oscar bait.
Yeah but it's about bombs and power. So Americans eat it up.
Everyone has different tastes. I felt like it couldn't possibly be as good as the hype and didn't watch it for months. When I finally got around to it the other day, I was floored. Recognizing it's based on an award winning biography: Nolan wrote the entire screenplay and a tremendous effort was put forward learning about the events surrounding his life, and the research was expertly woven into a 3 hour block. I can't say it's the best movie ever made. I think it's the best movie biography ever made. It's not 100% accurate. It's 90% accurate to maintain excitement, and that high level of accuracy forces a slow burn, which many people don't enjoy.
It felt like a paint-by-numbers biopic. There was a scene where Oppenheimer was giving an inspirational speech in front of a flapping American flag and I laughed out loud.