The first reactions to Oppenheimer have praised the film as a “knockout” and Christopher Nolan’s “most impressive work yet”.
The upcoming biopic stars Cillian Murphy as scientist and “father of the atomic bomb” J. Robert Oppenheimer, and is set to be released on July 21, 2023.
The first social media reactions to the anticipated epic have arrived after a world premiere event in Paris yesterday (June 11) where Murphy, Nolan and cast members Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr. and Matt Damon walked the red carpet at the Grand Rex Theater.
“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,” shared Telegraph film critic Robbie Collin.
He added: “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.”
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.
— Robbie Collin (@robbiereviews) July 11, 2023
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
— Robbie Collin (@robbiereviews) July 11, 2023
Jonathan Dean, writer at 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 added: “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.”
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
— Jonathan Dean (@JonathanDean_) July 11, 2023
Total Film deputy editor Matt Maytum wrote: “#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.”
#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
— Matt Maytum (@mattmaytum) July 11, 2023
Associated Press film writer Lindsey Bahr described the film as “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”.
They added: “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.”
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.
— Lindsey Bahr (@ldbahr) July 11, 2023
Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan also described Oppenheimer as arguably Nolan’s “most impressive film to date”.
I had the good fortune to spend time with Christopher Nolan talking about the exceptional 'Oppenheimer,' arguably his most impressive film to date. Here's what he had to say. https://t.co/snr8b1GbSR
— Kenneth Turan (@KennethTuran) July 12, 2023
You can read some more early reactions below.
Oppenheimer has been watched on the biggest IMAX screen possible and it sure is grander than I ever could have imagined, different from anything Nolan has done before, yet fitting right in with his filmography.
Review soon.
— Sucharita (@Su4ita) July 12, 2023
Christopher Nolan’s #Oppenheimer is fantastic – big & bold w/ electrifying performances & an incredibly visceral pacing to it. It’s both quietly intimate & also a ferocious moviegoing experience at the same time. See it in IMAX 70mm & it’ll be among your favorite watches of 2023 pic.twitter.com/GAZWiPEgFW
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) July 11, 2023
#ChristopherNolan's #Oppenheimer is incredible. Every aspect of the film is worth talking about from the brilliant performances, to #HoytevanHoytema's amazing work behind the camera, to the way Nolan tells the story. The 3 hour run time flies by. See it in @IMAX 70mm if you can. pic.twitter.com/8mPVJGALKu
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) July 11, 2023
OPPENHEIMER is…incredible. The word that keeps coming to mind is "fearsome." A relentlessly paced, insanely detailed, intricate historical drama that builds and builds and builds until Nolan brings the hammer down in the most astonishing, shattering way.
— Bilge Ebiri (@BilgeEbiri) July 11, 2023
I was skeptical, but Oppenheimer has stuck with me since seeing it last week. Yes, it's 3 hours, but in a dense-Scorsese way and the last 20 minutes (why Emily Blunt clearly took the role) bring its three narrative threads to a moving conclusion. (1) pic.twitter.com/dEC4hLlYiF
— Gregory Ellwood – The Playlist
(@TheGregoryE) July 11, 2023
Speaking in an interview with Wired, the director explained that there’s some similarities between Oppenheimer’s ending and the ambiguous final scene in Inception, where it was left unclear whether Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) was still in a dream.
He also recently revealed that early screenings left audiences “devastated”, with some even describing it as a horror film.
The post ‘Oppenheimer’ first reactions praise “astonishing” Christopher Nolan epic appeared first on NME.
