Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, a three-hour historical drama starring Cillian Murphy, recently had its world premiere in Paris to much anticipation. The first reactions from the premiere and early screenings have been positive, with many critics praising Murphy’s performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the head of the Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bomb during World War II. The film also features an A-list cast, including Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and Florence Pugh.
The film’s epic scope and complex characters have been praised, as has its exploration of the moral and ethical implications of the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer is definitely one of the most anticipated films of the year (just like every time Nolan comes out with a film), and the first reactions suggest that it will not disappoint.
What were some early reactions to ‘Oppenheimer’?
While formal reviews are still pending, early reactions on social media suggest that Christopher Nolan has delivered yet another masterpiece with Oppenheimer. One example of these reviews are, “Christopher Nolan’s #Oppenheimer is truly a spectacular achievement, in its truthful, concise adaptation, inventive storytelling and nuanced performances from Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon and the many, many others involved —- some just for a scene,” wrote Twitter user and film critic Lindsey Bahr. “It’s hard to talk about something as dense as this in something as silly as a tweet or thread but Oppenheimer really is a serious, philosophical, adult drama that’s as tense and exciting as Dunkirk. And the big moment – THAT MOMENT – is awe inspiring.”
Viewers couldn’t get enough of Oppenheimer, with one user (film and TV journalist Simon Thompson) tweeting, “#Oppenheimer is powerful stuff. Cillian Murphy’s flawless awards worthy performance is next level. Every player in this rich ensemble cast is at the top of their game. Christopher Nolan’s haunting opus is remarkable and Hoyte van Hoytema‘s execution of his vision is breathtaking.”
“Am torn between being all coy and mysterious about Oppenheimer and just coming out and saying it’s a total knockout that split my brain open like a twitchy plutonium nucleus and left me sobbing through the end credits like I can’t even remember what else. And for all those who’ve groused about the lack of sex in Christopher Nolan’s earlier work…boy oh BOY, are you getting some sex as only Nolan could stage it in this one.”
Telegraph film critic Robbie Collins
What are some more reviews for ‘Oppenheimer’?
The reviews for Christopher Nolan’s recent cinematic “masterpiece” have been incredibly and overwhelmingly positive (as expected). Josh Horowitz, who is the host of Happy Sad Confused, tweeted, “OPPENHEIMER is one of if not Nolan’s best work. And that comes from a huge Nolan admirer. I’ve see it twice. Impeccable immersive filmmaking of the highest order. Cillian Murphy gets the role he deserves. In love with Downey’s work. This one demands your attention.” He then further added more praise for Robert, saying: “I’m ready for a full on awards season for @RobertDowneyJr . His work in OPPENHEIMER is STELLAR and the reminder we didn’t need that he’s one of our best actors and movie stars.”
Jonathan Dean from The Sunday Times wrote, “Totally absorbed in OPPENHEIMER, a dense, talkie, tense film partly about the bomb, mostly about how doomed we are. Happy summer! Murphy is good, but the support essential: Damon, Downey Jr & Ehrenreich even bring gags. An audacious, inventive, complex film to rattle its audience.” He then commented, “The downside? The women are badly served – Emily Blunt only once gets out of her stressed mother role. But it’s straight into my Nolan top three, alongside Memento & The Prestige.” Total Film’s Matt Maytum also weighed in on the matter tweeting, “#Oppenheimer left me stunned: a character study on the grandest scale, with a sublime central performance by Cillian Murphy. An epic historical drama but with a distinctly Nolan sensibility: the tension, structure, sense of scale, startling sound design, remarkable visuals. Wow.”