‘Oppenheimer’ First Reactions Hail Christopher Nolan’s Latest As ‘Fearsome’

Cillian Murphy (center) in Oppenheimer. Courtesy of Universal Pictures/Syncopy.

Oppenheimer, the latest film from auteur Christopher Nolan, just had its premiere screening at Le Grand Rex in Paris, and that means that the first reactions to the film are in.

The film follows J. Robert Oppenheimer (Peaky Blinders’ Cillian Murphy), the man who led the efforts to create an atomic bomb during the Manhattan Project, and explores the fallout of his creation, one that impacted the rest of history forever. The film also stars Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Jack Quaid, Matt Damon, Devon Bostick, Josh Peck, David Dastmalchian, Casey Affleck, and Gary Oldman, among others in this star-studded ensemble.

Full reviews of Nolan’s latest film will release on July 19, two days before the film’s release, after more critics have had the chance to see the film, which has primarily been screened for those partaking in the New York junket and journalists based in Paris.

Oppenheimer arrives in theaters on July 21.

See reactions to the film below:

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

#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

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

#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. pic.twitter.com/oRFAVM64Kg

— Simon Thompson (@ShowbizSimon) July 11, 2023

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A French critic saw #Oppenheimer this morning and gave me his review:

- OPPENHEIMER is Nolan's most dense film. Lots of dialogue, characters and timelines (like Dunkirk). A second viewing will be essential to understand everything.

- Formally, the film is perfect. Impeccably… pic.twitter.com/T74D6WKuXJ

— Christopher Nolan Art & Updates (@NolanAnalyst) July 11, 2023

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

A sign that French audiences loved #Oppenheimer is that they stayed in front of the Grand Rex theater long after the film ended to debate about it!

— Elsa Keslassy (@ElsaKeslassy) July 11, 2023

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

#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

I think #Oppenheimer is Nolan’s JFK. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE JFK. Cillian Murphy mesmerizes in a star-studded moral quandary about Scientific Theory becoming deadly fact. The entire cast is outstanding, and while the history is DENSE, it’s Nolan’s most streamlined and accessible. pic.twitter.com/S8B2wAgzEb

— Sean O'Connell (@Sean_OConnell) 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

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

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.

— Josh Horowitz (@joshuahorowitz) July 11, 2023

#Oppenheimer is my film of the year.

Christopher Nolan makes 3 hours fly in stunning form. Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. are incredibly strong.

The story is chilling in the tragic sense of World War II’s lack of humanity and on intimate human levels.

Stunning and scary. pic.twitter.com/TkxJeGfd5E

— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) July 11, 2023

OPPENHEIMER is a monumental achievement from Christopher Nolan. A powerful story told on the grandest scale possible. Cillian Murphy seizes his moment & turns in a mesmerizing portrayal of moral torment. IMAX is a must for the breathtaking soundscape & visuals. It left me in awe! pic.twitter.com/UAYCaiTgGt

— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) July 13, 2023

More to come as we add all the reactions to Oppenheimer as they’re released.