Well, I can at least report and confirm that this didn't turn out like Tenet, and might just be one of Nolan's best in a long long time. T H A N K. G O O D N E S S.

Got to still process what I just watched 3 hours of dialogue and bomb making over, so will add more here tomorrow.

UPDATE 26/07/2023:

Once again, this comes a little later than I intended, but after sitting through the 3 hour long intense experience that was Oppenheimer, I had to step back and rest before putting fingers to keyboard tabs, and then write this down. For a movie that's starkly different from most of Nolan's filmography, being his first biopic and one that hardly revolves around science-fiction (the only other examples being Following, Dunkirk, Insomnia, & Memento to an extent).

But one thing that stands this one out from the rest is the use of prevalent dialogue involving technical information that both reveals the complex drama and workings of both our main character Oppenheimer and the others that surround them, as well as the conflict of creating a powerful weapon that both changed their world and also endangering it all at the same time. A lot of this dialogue remains relevant in highlighting the history as much as it can from the source material it's based on, even if at times extremely overwhelming to keep up with & digest - especially in the third act. While one could argue that this is may be a cheat code for Nolan to hide behind his own filmmaking tropes, like long-winded exposition, it has a more understandable reason to be here compared to other previous outings (like Tenet). The fast paced editing & Ludwig's score keeps us engaged with said dialogue and showcasing as much of the timeline's events as possible, the latter being a real treat that combines a space opera feel with the techy synth sounds from the likes of even Zimmer's work from Inception or Interstellar. And of course Murphy, Downey Jr, and Blunt being standout performers as expected. Not to mention a massive supporting cast with famous names that cameo here and there (Matthew Modine being a government suit in this had me recall Stranger Things for a second).

The only few issues I noticed were mainly from the earlier scenes, such as the Jean Tatlock subplot that doesn't actually do all that much besides attempting to further humanise Oppenheimer, but it only half works since we don't get a whole lot of backstory in regards to this further affecting his relationship with eventual wife Kitty. And while it's still an interesting watch all round, a lot of the energy starts to phase out after the Trinity test scene (which is a really satisfying moment I must say) with only the remaining courtroom drama & interrogation left. It's certainly a film you'd have be patient with and be prepared for, but if you're a fan of history and can handle long films over 2 hours, then this will be much up your alley, and then some.