The Big Picture
- Director Christopher Nolan expresses interest in making a horror film, emphasizing that the genre allows for cinematic experimentation.
- Nolan’s past films, such as
Batman Begins
, incorporated horror elements to create tension and fear. - Regardless of whether Nolan wins an Oscar, his desire to explore the horror genre delights fans.
Director Christopher Nolan is currently in the middle of award season where his masterful biopic Oppenheimer is cleaning up house on its way to The Oscars. The filmmaker has been a beloved name in the industry for over two decades, making critically acclaimed superhero films like The Dark Knight and trippy sci-fi mind benders like Tenet. However, the one genre Nolan hasn’t fully participated in is horror. Some may think that’s because a director of his caliber may feel beneath such a niche genre, but with Nolan, always expect the unexpected. In a recent sit down with the British Film Institute, the Oppenheimer visionary had nothing but kind words for this often overlooked genre.
When asked if he would ever consider making a horror film, Nolan stated “I think horror films are very interesting because they depend on very cinematic devices.” The director would further elaborate:
“It’s really about [provoking] a visceral response to things. So at some point, I’d love to make a horror film. But I think a really good horror film requires a really exceptional idea — and those are few and far between. So I haven’t found the story that lends itself to that. But I think it’s a very interesting genre from a cinematic point of view. It’s also one of the few genres where — the studios make a lot of these films — and they’re films that have a lot of bleakness, a lot of abstraction. They have a lot qualities that Hollywood is generally very resistant to putting into films, but that’s a genre where it’s allowable.”
When comparing the genre to his past efforts, Nolan would rightfully point out that films like Oppenheimer have some haunting horror similarities. “Certainly Oppenheimer has elements of horror — which I definitely think is appropriate for the subject matter”. He would continue to dive deeper, saying, “The middle of the film is very heavily based on the heist genre, and the third act of the film is the courtroom drama. And the reason I settled on those two genres for those sections is they are mainstream genres in which dialogue and people talking is inherently tense and interesting to an audience. That’s the fun thing with genre — you get to play with a lot of different areas whereas in different type of film you really wouldn’t be allowed to.”
Nolan’s Horror Past
While none of Nolan’s past films can be solely classified as horror, many of them have had the genre as their beating soul. One of the biggest examples of this is Nolan’s first major blockbuster, Batman Begins. This reboot of The Dark Night’s core theme was fear and overcoming the nightmares that hold us back. That manifestation is in the physical form of the villain Scarecrow, played brilliantly by Oppenheimer’s Cillian Murphy. The character has always been rooted in horror, but Nolan took the character’s fear toxin to another level with dreadful visuals, devilish audio tricks, and a musical score that burns into your soul. If you were a kid in the theater watching this film in 2005, you were most likely left with some trauma.
Watching Scarecrow lighting Batman on fire as the DC hero had his first major setback or seeing something as simple as bats and bugs coming out of Scarecrow’s mask is set dressing no child under the age of 10 will ever unsee. These tricks helped Nolan stand apart from other genre filmmakers and are something he has carried with him through Oppenheimer. Particularly when the famous historical figure is coming to terms with the aftermath of his work, visualizing people’s skin being melted off is an experience that fits right in with the horror genre.
Regardless, if Nolan finally gets the golden statue for Best Director on Oscar night next month or not, the director has a very bright future ahead of him. We’re not going to see him direct Scream 7 or the next Nightmare on Elm Street film, although stranger things have happened. Yet just hearing that Nolan would love to make a horror film is enough to light up any genre fan’s heart. We didn’t need another reason to love him, but we’re glad he gave us one. While we anxiously wait to hear what Nolan’s next project will be, you can stream Oppenheimer, along with most of Nolan’s back catalog, currently on Peacock. Oppenheimer’s up for 13 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor.
Stay tuned for how the Oscars pan out for Nolan and check out our conversation with him during the lead up to Oppenheimer below:
