Oppenheimer

It's probably a smidge ridiculous to throw out a term like 'Great American Movie,' but every so often, there's a film that cuts to the core of this country and the vices sewn into its very fabric. Oppenheimer is a personal film about the man who precipitated one of the great evil acts in American history, as well as the events that caused him to become embroiled in the central conflict. Christopher Nolan is a widely beloved and acclaimed director, but never has he pushed the medium further than he did with Oppenheimer. It's his greatest work to date, the complete synthesis of his technological and moral obsessions. A great work from an artist who finally found a real-life subject worthy of his imagination. A specter of doom and a singular American text about the past, but also about the future. The film of 2023.

It was the year of 'Barbenheimer.' I'm not sure there has ever been a phenomenon quite like it. Two completely different films, built for completely different audiences, capturing the box office — and, more importantly, audiences — worldwide for months. Oppenheimer and Barbie may have saved movie theaters. At the very least, it was a strong reminder that serious adult dramas, made by directors who are artistically empowered, can still draw an audience in the modern age of franchise filmmaking.

The message of Oppenheimer is timeless, but let's be frank — the problems explored in the film still rage in today's world. It's about a moment in time, but the film also points toward the future with a trembling hand and warns us of the potential catastrophe to come. “Importance“ is overrated in movie discourse, but Oppenheimer truly deserves the term. To borrow a phrase from the film: it's not self-important, it's actually important.