Oppenheimer received a strong first review from one cast member.
After tackling the world of magic, superheroes, and dream-infiltrating science-fiction, Christopher Nolan is now set to debut unto the world his vision of the development of the nuclear bomb.
The upcoming epic features an absolutely stacked cast, following the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, aka the father of the atom bomb.
With mere weeks before the film hits theater screens (on the very same day as Greta Gerwig's Barbie), fans are waiting with bated breath for the first reactions to Nolan's latest to see if it will cement itself amongst the beloved director's best.
Oppenheimer Gets a Glowing First Reaction
Benny Safdie, one of the cast members of Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, shared his first review of the film weeks before the movie hits theaters.
Safdie posted on his personal Instagram his reaction to the movie, calling it Nolan's "best movie by far:"
"I got to see the movie recently, and I can tell you with certainty: This is Chris’ best movie by far. It’s got everything firing on all cylinders."
This review came accompanied by an image of Safdie's character in the film, the Hungarian-American theoretical physicist Edward Teller.
Sadfie's first reaction comes long before Oppenheimer's review embargo (when movie critics can share their reviews publicly), which is set for Wednesday, July 19 at 12 pm EST.
How Good Will Oppenheimer Be?
Of course, Benny Safdie's Oppenheimer review needs to be taken with a grain of salt as he is reacting to a movie that he is, in fact, in.
However, if one is going to believe the opinion of an actor that is a part of the film's stacked cast, Safdie would be on the shortlist. Not only is he a talented actor, but he also is a celebrated member of the Safdie Brothers directing duo (High Time and Uncut Gems) and a noted film nerd (in the best meaning of the word).
This is someone who loves movies and talking about movies. So, Oppenheimer may actually be as good as the actor says it is.
And judging from Nolan's past output, it would not be all that surprising if Oppenheimer is another critical hit. The director's filmography averages an 85% score on Rotten Tomatoes (RT), with a whopping four films (more than a third of his directorial catalog) reaching Tomatometer scores of 92% or higher.
If Oppenheimer is "Chris’ best movie by far," it will need to top out with an RT score higher than 94% (The Dark Knight). To put it into perspective only five widely-released films have managed to cross that mark in 2023.
So, while not impossible, Oppenheimer does have its work cut out for it.
For now, fans will have to wait and see what critics think of the movie went the review embargo is up on July 19.
Oppenheimer comes to theaters on Friday, July, 21.
