Interstellar proves Christopher Nolan’s biggest critics wrong

Interstellar is celebrating its 10th birthday this week, but rather than write about what a kick-ass movie it remains, I’m going to state exactly why the sci-fi classic proves Christopher Nolan’s most vocal critics wrong.

Christopher Nolan is one of the most successful directors in the history of cinema, with his 12 movies making more than $6 billion at the global box office.

He’s also reached something of a celluloid summit by combining commercial success with critical acclaim and Oscar glory, culminating in Oppenheimer grossing nearly $1 billion and winning seven Academy Awards.

But along the way, Nolan has also developed a reputation for making movies that are cold, detached, and, above all, lacking emotion.

The criticism crops up time and time again, in reviews and profiles, during brutal takedowns, and on neverending Reddit threads where fans argue both for and against.

Indeed, even while praising his work in a largely positive 2014 piece, The New York Times wrote that in many of his movies, “the human relationships can feel like an afterthought.”

That’s true of some of his work. But at times, it’s in service of form matching theme. Nolan’s first three movies – Following, Memento, and Insomnia – were neo-noirs, a sub-genre that isn’t exactly filled with people pouring their hearts out.

Style is just as important as substance in those movies, while protagonists tend to be tough, tortured, obsessive, and morally ambiguous, traits that don’t exactly lend themselves to cosy, cuddly narratives.

Batman isn’t much of a hugger either, as that would be weird for a bloke who spends his nights fighting crime in a big bat suit. 

But, Lego Batman aside, I’d argue that Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy presents the most human version of the character we’ve seen onscreen. The relationship that Bruce Wayne shares with Alfred is genuinely touching, and key to the series concluding in tear-jerking fashion.

There are times when the criticism is sound, most clearly in Inception, where Marion Cotillard plays the ultimate “fridged” wife by popping up at regular intervals to give the protagonist some semblance of humanity. 

But 2014’s Interstellar is the movie where that assessment falls flat, as it’s dripping with both heart and soul, wrapped up in a wholly compelling blockbuster tale. 

The plot concerns mankind facing extinction, so sending scientists into space in search of habitable planets. This means that Nolan can play with both time and cutting edge practical effects, which are two of his great passions.

However, a story about the end of the world needs focus, and the script – which he co-wrote with brother Jonathan – nails that through the bond between pilot Joseph Cooper, and his daughter Murphy Cooper.

It’s a relationship that’s inspired by lived experience, as Nolan revealed at the time, saying: “I have a daughter who is the same age as the [Murph] character. In my brother’s draft, it was a son. I turned it into a daughter because Flora was about that age when I was making it. 

“As my kids were growing up, I had this desire to hang on to the past. You become quite melancholy about how fast it’s going. All parents talk about it, all parents experience it. So Interstellar came from a very personal place.”

Christopher Nolan explains why the character of Murph in Interstellar is a girl and not a boy, as originally planned by Jonathan Nolan in the 1st version of the script:

“I have a daughter who is the same age as the character. In my brother’s draft, it was a son. I turned it into… pic.twitter.com/qV83FobyQ8

— Christopher Nolan Art & Updates (@NolanAnalyst) February 27, 2024

At the start of the narrative, the Nolans quickly and economically introduce them as friends as much as relations, with Coop treating Murph like a peer by discussing science when she believes there’s a ghost in her bookcase, and allowing her to switch gears while they’re driving his truck.

For her part, Murph makes him dinner, and hides out in said truck when Coop embarks on a fact-finding mission, which annoys him but also makes him proud. And to be honest, I could’ve watched an entire movie of this daddy-daughter team investigating supernatural occurrences. 

Sadly that isn’t to be, and they share a tearful farewell when he heads into space; one that becomes unbearable when Murph realizes Coop has no idea when he’s coming home, so refuses to say a proper goodbye.

That’s nothing compared to the sequence that unfolds just over an hour into proceedings, however. As due to a mission mishap, Coop loses 23 years, 4 months, and 8 days, which results in him receiving two decades of video messages from his son.

Coop plays them for the beginning, and via a heartbreaking Matthew McConaughey performance, we see the emotion etched on his face as father watches son age, and learns about him falling in love, having a child, and then losing that child. 

Eventually, grown-up Murph appears, calls him a son-of-a-bitch, and suggests that now – when they are both the same age – would be a good time for him to return. 

Tears are now streaming down Coop’s cheeks as he realizes the error of his ways, and if they aren’t cascading down yours, I’d suggest you are the one who’s cold and unemotional.

Admittedly, the film falls at the final hurdle, where Coop reunites with elderly Murph in the year 2156, and the pair share an inexplicably brief “hi, how are you?” before he buggers off on a new adventure. 

But the bond they shared is what brought him home, through time and through space, and thanks to a shelf filled with books. While it’s what comes before that ultimately counts, with Christopher Nolan telling a rich, emotionally charged story about the connection between daughter and dad, and how the power of that love can save the world.

For the 10th anniversary, Interstellar is re-releasing in select US cities for a week from December 6, with full details available here. While for more on Christopher Nolan, check out all our Oppenheimer coverage, everything we know about Christopher Nolan’s next movie, plus why he eventually wants to make a horror film.