Christopher Nolan on Why ‘Oppenheimer’ Can Be Seen as a “Horror Movie” – The Hollywood Reporter

Christopher Nolan says he can understand why some might view his upcoming film Oppenheimer, about the race to create the atomic bomb during World War II and the man who led the effort within the U.S., as a “horror movie.”

In Wired‘s latest cover story, the Oscar-winning director, writer and producer discusses the significance of J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the Manhattan Project, which saw him taking a lead in the research and development of nuclear weapons amid the Holocaust.

At one point, between discussing how AI and nuclear advancements are different, the ethics of Silicon Valley and why Oppenheimer is “the most important man who ever lived,” Nolan recalls a conversation he had with a fellow filmmaker about the tone of his film.

“It is an intense experience, because it’s an intense story. I showed it to a filmmaker recently, who said it’s kind of a horror movie. I don’t disagree. It’s interesting that you used the word nihilism earlier, because I don’t think I’d quite managed to put my finger on it. But as I started to finish the film, I started to feel this color that’s not in my other films, just darkness. It’s there. The film fights against that.”

Speaking to the film’s more difficult subject matter, the director noted that with early screenings, he’s seen “some people leave the movie absolutely devastated.”

“They can’t speak. I mean, there’s an element of fear that’s there in the history and there in the underpinnings” he continued. “But the love of the characters, the love of the relationships, is as strong as I’ve ever done.”

In terms of how it fits into his body of work, Nolan agreed with the interviewer’s assessment that all of his previous work has been leading up to Oppenheimer, as with all his films he’s “trying to build on what I’ve learned before.” It’s a story that “has been with me for years,” he explained, before adding that the film captures the “most dramatic moment in history.”

“I was relieved to be finished with it, actually,” he said of how the movie’s process and subject has emotionally affected him. “But I enjoy watching the film tremendously. I think you’ll understand when you see the film. It’s a complicated set of feelings to be entertained by awful things, you know? Which is where the horror dimension comes in.”