Oppenheimer: Why Christopher Nolan Calls It A 'Horror Movie'

Despite what it may look like, Christopher Nolan isn't interested in nihilism. In some of his most recognizable films, like "The Dark Knight" and "Memento," focus is on the darker elements of what people are capable of. But these films have lighter touches too. Even though the ending of "Inception" questions the nature of reality, Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is satisfied. He reunites with his children, whether it is a fantasy or not.

In a similar vein, "Oppenheimer" is ultimately about characters trying to do the greater good. It is through their efforts that they birth one of the most significant — if harrowing — points in human history. Fans have reportedly felt this in screenings of the film. The three hours viewers watch the film about the birth of the atomic bomb naturally results in some complicated feelings. If you ask Nolan, this is about as much of a horror movie as he's made in recent memory.

"Some people leave the movie absolutely devastated," Nolan told Wired in an exclusive interview. "They can't speak. I mean, there's an element of fear that's there in the history and there in the underpinnings." Nolan may not set out to make nihilistic movies, but there is no doubt that 'Oppenheimer' has some horrific components.

If J. Robert Oppenheimer's most famous quote is any consideration, fans are certainly in for a ride. After the atomic bombs dropped, the physicist famously recited the Bhagavad Gita: "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." You can't get any more horrific than that. Oppenheimer was haunted by what he helped create and spent his life advocating for the control of nuclear weapons, knowing the damage that it could — and did — inflict.

This will likely inspire the existential meltdowns Christopher Nolan reported viewers experienced. Especially in this new age of AI and with no one understanding the consequences of embarking on technology that has no oversight, "Oppenheimer" has come out at the right time. What makes the film even more daunting is the close perspective that the audience has with the title character. Nolan wrote the film in first person, a move that goes against basically every screenwriting practice. The director has created a film that forces the audience to experience Oppenheimer's anxiety and culpability in creating a weapon of such magnitude. With all this information from the director himself, it certainly appears that this is Nolan's magnum opus. Even if it takes the sanity away from fans of the filmmaking visionary, he will have made a truly unforgettable movie.