Christopher Nolan is known for having frequent collaborators in his films, from actors to cinematographers and composer Hans Zimmer, whose musical scores have electrified audiences for over three decades. Nolan and Zimmer began their collaboration with Batman Begins and worked together on seven films. While Christopher Nolan’s work is most notably recognized for stunning visuals, advanced practical effects, and compelling writing, music also plays an extremely important role in selling his narratives.
Hans Zimmer is one of the most iconic composers in modern cinema. Having started in the late '80s, he's now known for his involvement in great blockbuster films such as The Lion King, Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean, and of course, his collaborations with Christopher Nolan. He's the highest-grossing film composer at the worldwide box office and is still climbing. While he won't be scoring Nolan's film, Oppenheimer, their previous collaborations are still notable.
7 Honorable Mention: The Prestige
The Prestige is one of Christopher Nolan's most underrated movies and one of his best accomplishments as a writer, but the musical score is far less memorable than his later works. While Hans Zimmer was involved with the project as a producer, it was David Julyan who composed the soundtrack. The Hans Zimmer influence is clear, particularly in tracks like "Are You Watching Closely," which sometimes almost sounds like the score for Man of Steel. The strength of The Prestige isn't in its soundtrack but rather in its exciting narrative, plot twists, and all-star cast.
6 The Dark Knight Rises
Like many of Christopher Nolan's films, the final scene of The Dark Knight Rises is distinctly memorable, with a blasting score from Hans Zimmer. This closing moment is one of the best in the trilogy and perfectly concludes Christian Bale's run as Batman. But, while "Rise" is certainly one of Zimmer's best tracks, particularly for Batman, it's essentially re-used material from The Dark Knight. The Dark Knight Rises has a terrific score, but it barely develops from the previous film. Bane's antagonist musical theme replaces the Joker's but isn't enough to distinguish the soundtrack from its predecessors.
5 Batman Begins
From the opening scene of Batman Begins, Hans Zimmer's score sets a serious tone for a character that'd previously been represented in a campy nature by 1997's Batman and Robin. Batman Begins rebuilt the standard, not only for Batman but also for superhero stories in general in mainstream media, showing that they could be maturely portrayed. The score is essential in establishing Batman as the central character in an epic and enforces some of the film's strongest moments, like the rooftop car chase scene or training scenes with Ra's al Ghul, but it isn't as developed as it would later become in the later installments of the trilogy.
4 Dunkirk
Dunkirk sets itself apart from other Nolan films, as it isn't exactly a character-driven story. In the same sense, Hans Zimmer's score doesn't represent a character or world like his other Nolan collaborations do but is instead used to help construct the film's pacing and ambiance. The music of Dunkirk is essential to its story and almost creates a character of its own, building up the intensity and anxiety that the film is meant to evoke. While this soundtrack is perfect for the film itself, it doesn't have the same value outside of Dunkirk as other Nolan/Zimmer collaborations.
3 The Dark Knight
The peak of Hans Zimmer's Batman music is in The Dark Knight. The music not only evolves from what was established in Batman Begins for the titular character but also adds an opposing theme for Joker as the villain. "Like a Dog Chasing Cars" and "A Dark Knight," which perfectly ends the film alongside Batman's closing monologue, are highlights of the score that are still iconic and come to mind when viewers think of Batman themes. While The Batman took a strong, new musical direction, Hans Zimmer's score will always be what a certain generation of film and comic book lovers imagine as Batman's soundtrack.
2 Inception
While his previous films captivated audiences and The Dark Knight trilogy sold out theaters, Inception was the film where Nolan established that he could turn an original idea into a major box office hit. Inception is a mind-bending science fiction film, and its most iconic moment is the final, vague ending that goes accompanied by what is arguably Hans Zimmers' best track to date. Even without the film, "Time" has become ingrained in pop culture as a musical piece that represents the wow factor and magnificence and is commonly used in the background of videos and fan edits to make them feel epic.
The rest of Inception's soundtrack is extraordinary too. The film sold out theaters due to its massive, world-bending visual effects and its ensemble cast is all tied together by Zimmer's music. As the espionage mission intensifies, so does the music, which perfectly complements zero-gravity fight sequences, chase scenes, and massive dream worlds. Inception certainly features some of the best work by both Christopher Nolan and Hans Zimmer.
1 Interstellar
While Inception has, arguably, the most notable track in a Nolan film, the score for Interstellar is the best collaboration between Nolan and Zimmer as a whole. Hans Zimmer's work can often be described as majestic and grand, and nothing fits that description better than the expanse of outer space. In equal measure, Zimmer expresses the vastness of the cosmos and the introspection of humanity and is a large part of what makes Interstellar such a powerful film. From the early scene where Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) drives his truck through a cornfield after a drone, viewers know they're about to witness a massively important story.
Interstellar is a fan favorite for Nolan lovers, and much of the love for the film is attributed to its mesmerizing score, which underlines the space epic. Like Inception, the film's intensity increases as it progresses and caps off with a mind-blowing third act in which Hans Zimmer's music adds to a feeling of grander mystery. In the climactic scene where Cooper communicates with Murph (Jessica Chastain), the music is at its best, adding so much emotion to the connection between the long-lost father and daughter pair, as their love and faith in each other protects humanity.
