Christopher Nolan Reveals the Filmmakers He Admires Most

Christopher Nolan has made a name for himself as one of the most ambitious directors working today, known for creating huge, complex films that stick with you long after the credits roll. Despite his reputation for mind-bending stories and massive set pieces, Nolan has always been open about the filmmakers who inspired him along the way.

He has spoken about action films like Jan de Bont’s Speed, calling it “a perfect ticking clock nail-biter” that taught him how to build tension in a story. He also admires Tony Scott’s Unstoppable, praising the movie’s relentless pace and energy.

For Nolan, these kinds of films showed him how to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Nolan’s influences aren’t just in action. He has a deep respect for Quentin Tarantino and even hosted an awards screening for Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight in 2015.

He was impressed by the film’s careful camera work and deliberate pacing, saying it made him appreciate how formalism can heighten storytelling. He believes these films remind us why watching movies in a theater is a unique and almost sacred experience.

As a kid, Nolan was blown away by Ridley Scott’s Alien and Blade Runner, movies that showed him how to create fully immersive worlds. He also studied older classics, like Gillo Pontecorvo’s The Battle of Algiers, which influenced the documentary-style realism in Dunkirk.

Alfred Hitchcock’s Foreign Correspondent even inspired some of the aerial sequences in the same film. Nolan sees these directors not just as influences, but as teachers whose work shaped the way he approaches cinema.

Currently, Nolan is not slowing down. In 2025, he became president of the Directors Guild of America, which he called “one of the greatest honors of my career.” At the same time, he is finishing post-production on his 13th feature film, The Odyssey, a $250 million epic that reimagines Greek mythology in a realistic, high-stakes way.

The movie stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, and Tom Holland as their son Telemachus. Zendaya joins as the goddess Athena, and Robert Pattinson plays the suitor Antinous.

Charlize Theron appears as the witch-goddess Circe, and Lupita Nyong’o rounds out the ensemble. Filming took place in Greece, Morocco, and Iceland, and Nolan used over two million feet of IMAX film to capture the scope of Odysseus’s decade-long journey.

Jonathan Nolan, Christopher’s brother, has already called the movie “a spectacular and tremendous achievement.” With the release set for July 17, it’s clear Nolan is once again pushing the limits of what a blockbuster can be, mixing his signature realism with larger-than-life myth.

Do you think Nolan’s shift from historical dramas to epic fantasy will excite fans, or are they going to miss his grounded storytelling? Share your thoughts in the comments.