Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is one of those movies you HAVE to see on the big screen, and I did just that, along with countless other people who flocked to theaters for its opening weekend. Ever since watching what could very well be the best of Nolan’s movies so far, I’ve been obsessed with it; to the point where my wife has asked me several times to stop talking about the movie about the creation of the atomic bomb.
If you’re like me and want to revisit some of the situations, themes, and even archetypes featured in the epic biographical drama, but can’t get to the cineplex for a second (or third) screening, I’ve got you covered. From stories of obsessed tycoons, to conspiracy theories and those covering practically every aspect of the early atomic age, here are seven movies to watch after Oppenheimer that are available to you from the comfort of your home.
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Okay, Paul Thomas Anderon’s 2007 epic There Will Be Blood probably isn’t the first movie you think of when trying to find something to watch after Oppenheimer, but hear me out. The movie, which centers on oilman Daniel Plainveiw (Daniel Day Lewis) as he builds his empire, has a lot in common with Nolan’s latest feature film, and not just because both feature expansive shots of the emptiness of the American West as it becomes home to massive encampments of industry.
At the core of both of these films are in-depth character studies of two men who are forced to deal with the fallout of the actions that helped them create their respective legacies. One of the only differences between Plainview and Oppenheimer is that the latter experiences a deep existential crisis because of his creation, while the former relishes in it.
Stream There Will Be Blood on Paramount+.
Rent/buy There Will Be Blood on Amazon.
Hiroshima (1953)
Released not even a full decade after the atomic bomb known as “Little Boy” expedited the end of World War II, Hideo Sekigawa’s Hiroshima recounted the death, destruction, and suffering inflicted upon the city of the same name. The story is primarily told through the eyes of a group of teachers and their students in the years following the bombing, but there are flashbacks to August 6, 1945 that are the stuff of nightmares and don’t really hold back.
If you are curious as to what kind of impact the bomb had on the people of Hiroshima, then this black-and-white drama is going to offer you an unfiltered and unsettling look at the impact of the 9,700-pound device of destruction. This is not for the faint of heart, but it does provide a different perspective of the historical event.
JFK (1991)
We’re still talking about the impact of Oliver Stone’s JFK 30+ years later, and there are a lot of reasons for that. I could go on and on about the cinematic and cultural significance of the 1991 drama, but for the sake of everyone’s sanity I’ll just talk about why it’s a great second part of a double-feature with Oppenheimer.
Both of these movies are dramas containing multiple storylines filmed with different techniques (each has black-and-white sections, and their presentations shift from straight-forward to more expressive) and each focuses on a defining moment of the mid-20th century. But more so than that, both of these movies tackle far-reaching conspiracies against those who were once heralded as American heroes.
Stream JFK on Max.
Rent/buy JFK on Amazon.
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
If you want to explore the Atomic age but want some levity, Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is going to do the trick. Released in 1964, this all-time great comedy tells the story of a United States Air Force general who calls for an attack on the Soviet Union, as well as the men who try to prevent the start of nuclear war.
Like Oppenheimer, one of Kubrick’s best movies shows what happens when the power-hungry warhawks are in control of a powerful weapon which they don’t fully understand. Again, the movie looks at Cold War America through a comedic lens, but it is handled with as much care and concern as Nolan’s three-hour epic.
Rent/buy Dr. Strangelove on Amazon.
Fat Man And Little Boy (1989)
Roland Joffé’s Fat Man and Little Boy (named after the two bombs used by the United States in World War II) is very similar to Oppenheimer in that it chronicles the work that was conducted during the Manhattan Project and its major players. Though, instead of having J. Robert Oppenheimer (Dwight Schultz) being the main focus of the drama, General Leslie Groves (Paul Newman) is the primary draw here.
That being said, if you were fond of the dynamic relationship between Oppenheimer and Groves, the massive explosion during the Trinity test, and everything that came before it, then this 1989 star-studded drama (John Cusack, Laura Dern, John C. McGinley, Natasha Richardson, Clark Gregg) is one you’ll want to watch.
Stream Fat Man and Little Boy on Pluto.
Rent/buy Fat Man and Little Boy on Amazon.
The Beginning Or The End (1947)
Released not even two years after the atomic bomb was first created, Norman Taurog’s The Beginning or the End became one of the earliest attempts to turn the story of the Manhattan Project into a feature film. The movie, which stars Brian Donlevy and Hume Cronyn as Groves and Oppenheimer, respectively, features many of the same situations and events from Nolan’s movie, but with a much different presentation.
This one is going to be hard to find as it’s not streaming on any of the major platforms right now. However, you can pick up physical copies of the movie if you want to see how the creation of the atomic bomb was handled on film so soon after its initial detonation.
Buy The Beginning or the End on DVD on Amazon.
Good Night, And Good Luck (2005)
George Clooney’s black-and-white historical drama, Good Night, and Good Luck doesn’t directly deal with the atomic bomb, but it does take place in a world forever changed by its creation and detonation. One of the best journalism movies out there, this short and fast-paced affair focuses on CBS journalist Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) as he and his team fight back against Joseph McCarthy during the U.S. Senator’s anti-communism crusade during the Cold War.
If you were really into the way in which Oppenheimer tackled the overly zealous and patriotic figures in the U.S. government and their attempts to go after anyone with even the slightest ties to communism, then this is a movie you don’t want to miss.
Rent/buy Good Night, and Good Luck on Amazon.
These are just a few of the movies that you should watch immediately after Oppenheimer, as there are countless others that would fit in nicely for a weekend marathon. If you want to know about other new releases now that Barbenheimer has died down, check out our 2023 movie schedule.
