Christopher Nolanhas one of the most recognizable filmographies in modern Hollywood. With 12 feature films under his belt, Nolan has dominated the 2000s with a wide variety of stories, from superhero epics to his most recent WWII blockbuster biopic,Oppenheimer.
While each film’s stories may not all be the same, there are certainly throughlines that can be found across much of his work. One notable commonality is that many of the characters in his films are afflicted with terrible fates and depressing narratives. Though some characters handle their situations better than others, these are a few who were subjected to some pretty rough storylines.
10Neil - ‘Tenet’ (2021)
Played byRobert Pattinson, Neil is a mysterious figure assigned to aid The Protagonist on his mission to uncover the secrets behind time reversal. He plays a central role inTenet, effectively serving as the story’s deuteragonist.
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9Murph - ‘Interstellar’ (2014)
Nolan’s 2014 masterpieceInterstellaris one ofthe all-time best science fiction movies. The film follows a group of astronauts who travel through a wormhole searching for a new home for humanity. Oscar-winnerJessica Chastainplays Murphy Cooper, a scientist at NASA HQ and the daughter of the film’s protagonist, set on finding a greater understanding of gravity.
It’s bad enough that her father set off on a space expedition when she was just a little girl, but it’s especially devastating that she spends the next 25 years not knowing what’s happened to him. Murph’s life is tragic, but she succeeds in what she set out to do and even manages to see her dad one last time. It’s a bittersweet but not entirely devastating ending, all things considered.
8Rachel Dawes - ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
Oscar-nomineeMaggie GyllenhaalreplacesKatie Holmesas Rachel Dawes in Nolan’sThe Dark Knight. Rachel is Gotham City’s assistant District Attorney and Bruce Wayne’s childhood sweetheart, now in a relationship with the new “white knight,” Harvey Dent.
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Going on a crusade against organized crime in Gotham already puts her in a dangerous position, but being closely linked to Batman makes Rachel an inevitable target. Another pawn in the Joker’s game, her death is tragic and unfair. Still, Rachel dies for what she believes in, and at least she didn’t live to see the man she loves descend into madness.
7Mallorie Cobb - ‘Inception’ (2010)
Mallorie “Mal” Cobb is Dom Cobb’s late wife andInception’s primary antagonist. Played by Oscar-winnerMarion Cotillard, Mal is a shadow, a manifestation of Cobb’s guilt, who constantly attempts to ruin his plans by inserting herself into the action.
Nolan’s filmography has many great female characters. However, his work often has female love interests meeting a checkered fate, and Mal is not an outlier. Her demise resulted from a gradual descent into madness brought about by an inability to tell the difference between dreams and reality after being stuck in limbo. Mal is a cautionary tale forInception’s many real dangers, and Cotillard is stellar in the role.
6Jean Tatlock - ‘Oppenheimer’ (2022)
Oscar-nomineeFlorence Pughplays Jean Tatlock inOppenheimer. Jean is a physician, psychiatrist, member of the Communist Party of America, and secret lover of Robert J. Oppenheimer. Their relationship affects his marriage to Kitty Oppenheimer and profoundly impacts his life.
Depicted as the “other woman” in Oppenheimer’s life, Jean is a sad presence in the film, treated exclusively as either a liability or sexual object until her untimely death. Because the film focuses solely on Oppenheimer, Tatlock’s life becomes an afterthought, adding a layer of tragedy by ignoring her real-life achievements.
5Bruce Wayne - ‘The Dark Knight Trilogy’ (2005-2012)
Academy Award winnerChristian Baleplays Bruce Wayne in Nolan’sThe Dark Knighttrilogy. Also known as Batman, Bruce is an orphaned billionaire who eventually becomes a masked vigilante to rid the morally bankrupt Gotham City of crime.
Watching his parents be murdered in front of him at such a young age was definitely the most traumatic event in Bruce’s life, but Batman is also a character defined by emotional sacrifice. Acrossthe acclaimedDark Knighttrilogy, fans see him lose the love of his life, fail to save Gotham’s one good leader and throw his name in the dirt for the sake of a righteous lie. Bruce is willing to die for Gotham, all so no child will ever have to endure what he did.
4Farrier - ‘Dunkirk’ (2017)
Tom Hardyis no stranger to collaborating with Christopher Nolan -Dunkirkis their third film together, showing the good relationship between the two. The Academy Award-nominated actor plays Farrier, the Squadron Leader in the Royal Air Force during the 1940 Battle of France.
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After assuming command during an intense dogfight, Farrier is unquestionably one of the film’s MVPs, taking down bombers with a broken fuel gauge. While the rest of the main cast celebrates their victory and mourns the dead, Farrier’s only option is to glide down to an enemy beach where fans can only imagine what happens to him in the hands of the opposition.
3Harvey Dent - ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
Played byAaron Eckhart, Harvey Dent isThe Dark Knight’s most complex figure. He is Gotham City’s new district attorney, dedicated to cleaning up the city’s crime epidemic one mobster and dirty cop at a time. He starts the film as an idealistic crime fighter until things take a dark turn.
In a city like Gotham, a well-intentioned man in power like Harvey is unlikely to survive. Harvey is the Joker’s greatest achievement, descending into chaos and violence following his lover’s death, and his facial disfigurement leads him down a path of insanity. Harvey’s transition into Two-Face isThe Dark Knight’s biggest tragedy, and Eckhart is compelling and unforgettable in the role.
2Cooper - ‘Interstellar’ (2014)
Academy Award-winnerMatthew McConaugheyplays Cooper,Interstellar’s protagonist. A trained engineer and former pilot for NASA, Cooper leads the interstellar expedition through a wormhole that could potentially lead to a new home for humanity.
The sadness in Cooper’s journey can be summed up alone by the scene in which he returns to his ship after what was just one hour on a foreign planet, learning that he’d lost out on 23 years in Earth time. After leaving his family behind in hopes of saving the human race, it’s heartbreaking that he makes it back to them just in time to watch his daughter spend her last moments alive, effectively missing her entire life. He then leaves to search for her fellow astronaut, continuing his mission to find a new home for humanity. It’s a devastating narrative, elevated by McConaughey’s harrowing performance.
1Leonard - ‘Memento’ (2000)
The ever-underratedGuy Pearceplays Leonard Shelby in Nolan’s breakthrough filmMemento. Leonard is a former insurance investigator who becomes the victim of a violent home invasion, leaving him with anterograde amnesia.
Fans only see Leonard happy in brief flashbacks of him and his deceased wife. After the traumatic break-in, there is nothing left for him other than violence, depression, and an endless, disorienting loop of memories gained and lost. The film’s ending is a testament to the tragedy of his character, who chooses to chase the ghost of his past forever rather than accept the reality of his situation.
