Oppenheimer: how to watch, reviews, awards, cast and everything we know about the Christopher Nolan movie (original) (raw)

Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer

Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer (Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Christopher Nolan does not do small. The director's latest movie, Oppenheimer, looks to be no different, as he has assembled a massive, star-studded cast to tell the story of one of the most pioneering figures of the 20th century and his revolutionary yet devastating work.

Whenever Nolan has a new movie it is an event. With the cast and a prime summer 2023 release date already lined up, Oppenheimer has already established itself as one of the tentpole movies of that year and is one of WTW's most anticipated summer blockbuster movies of 2023.

Here is everything that we know about Oppenheimer right now.

How to watch Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer is now available to watch at home via streaming, digital on-demand and physical DVD/Blu-rays. Get everything you need to know about how to watch Oppenheimer right here.

Oppenheimer plot

Based on the book from Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin, American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Oppenheimer is going to tell the story of the famed American physicist who held a large role in the Manhattan project during World War II and is often referred to as the father of the atomic bomb. Nolan wrote the script.

In an interview with Total Film, Nolan offers some additional tidbits about the movie, including that their recreation of the first atomic bomb testing was done with all practical effects (as is his usual MO).

Oppenheimer cast

Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer

Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer (Image credit: Universal Pictures)

The cast for Oppenheimer is massive, but leading the way as J. Robert Oppenheimer is Cillian Murphy. Perhaps best known for his role as Tommy Shelby on Peaky Blinders, Murphy is a regular collaborator with Christopher Nolan, having appeared in the director's trilogy of Batman movies, Inception and Dunkirk. Oppenheimer marks the first time Murphy is playing the leading man in one of Nolan's movies.

Where to start with the rest of the cast though. The top-billed names on the poster include A-listers Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr. and Florence Pugh. Here are other names being reported as part of the Oppenheimer cast:

Oppenheimer reviews

The reviews for Oppenheimer are in, including What to Watch's very own Oppenheimer review; read why we gave the movie 4.5 out of 5 stars.

We're not the only ones who liked the movie. Oppenheimer has a "Certified Fresh" Rotten Tomatoes score of 93%, with many critics calling it among "the best films of the decade" (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times) and "the most important motion picture of 2023, and maybe far beyond" (Pete Hammond, Deadline).

Oppenheimer awards

Here is a rundown of the major awards that Oppenheimer has been nominated for and won to date:

Oscars

BAFTA Film Awards

Golden Globes

American Film Institute

Critics Choice Awards

London Critics' Circle Awards

Los Angeles Film Critics Awards

National Board of Review

New York Film Critics Awards

SAG Awards

Oppenheimer trailer

After a teaser trailer (which you can also see below) that gave us a running (and updating) countdown clock, the official trailer for Oppenheimer is here. In it, Cillian Murphy's Oppenheimer gives the foreboding warning that people won't understand the true magnitude of his defining work until they've used it, but it sure seems like he and everyone who worked on it that is featured in the trailer does. Check it out below.

Another trailer for the Christopher Nolan movie was released on May 8, which you can watch here:

And here is the previously released teaser trailer.

How long is Oppenheimer?

Oppenheimer has a runtime of three hours.

What is Oppenheimer rated?

Oppenheimer is rated R in the US and 15 in the UK for "some sexuality, nudity and language."

Oppenheimer posters

Take a look at the posters for Oppenheimer right here:

Oppenheimer poster

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Christopher Nolan movies

Nolan has become one of the most recognized directors in Hollywood, in large part thanks to his work on The Dark Knight trilogy with Christian Bale. He has also come up with a number of original movies that have been heralded by critics and fans alike. Here’s Nolan’s complete filmography and where you can watch each movie right now:

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Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.