#Every Christopher Nolan Film Ranked Worst To Best

“Following” may be Nolan’s debut, but “Memento” is the film that introduced him and his style to a broad audience. With “Memento,” Nolan is clearly interested in puzzling his viewers, but it’s not a mystery that favors complexity over human emotion. “Memento” hooks viewers with its clever structure, but the story itself makes them care, rendering the film’s later revelations even more gripping.

Guy Pearce’s protagonist, Leonard Shelby, is a man who cannot form new memories, and ends up being one of Nolan’s strongest characters. “Memento” may use the “dead wife” cliché Nolan’s often accused of employing, but Shelby’s search for the culprit behind his spouse’s murder is maddening given his inability to piece together the clues. He’s befuddled, never quite sure where he is or what his short-term goals are, and Pearce captures his torment wonderfully. Nolan was working with a lower budget than his later projects employed, but he’s incredibly economic, making the best of limited space. The striking black-and-white flashbacks add some variety to Nolan’s visual palette, too.

Nolan earned his first Academy Award nomination for best original screenplay for “Memento,” and the shocking twist ending provides a rewarding conclusion to a complex story. While some of Nolan’s films take multiple re-watches to comprehend, “Memento” invites repeated viewings more than it demands them.