100 Movies Every Catholic Should See #81: Inception (2010)

Written & Directed by Christopher Nolan

Inception stands at a unique place in recent film history: it’s pre-Avengers, meaning it was produced during a time when franchises- at least successful ones- really weren’t as much of a thing, sans Harry Potter. It was also produced right before Joe Biden opened up the China box office floodgates and every studio realized they could make a fortune as long as their films were allowed to release in China. One could say that Inception stands as one of the last pure Hollywood blockbusters, unencumbered by the weight of having to set up sequels and given a pretty magnanimous budget of close to $200 million. However, even in 2010, the tide was already shifting, comparing the top 10 highest grossing films of 2010 to 2009:

It’s surprising to see films like the Dan Brown adaptation Angels & Demons and The Hangover up there with Avatar and Harry Potter. By the time Inception released though, live-action IP plays were becoming the thing, although thankfully animation at least was still original compared to the constant churn of sequels we get now.

This is all to say that, while The Dark Knight obviously secured director Christopher Nolan’s place as a proven moneymaker, it was Inception that proved that he was a certified phenomenon: he took Warner Bros’ blank check and ran away with it, becoming the single most powerful director in Hollywood. Inception may be the best Christopher Nolan film to date (although The Prestige makes that call pretty hard), it’s a film that for over a decade now has confounded and amazed audiences who seek to know the truth of the film’s intentionally puzzling ending.