Based on the real-life story of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan's epic biographical thriller is a phenomenal and terrifying depiction of the creation of the atomic bombs during the Manhattan Project. Relying on practical effects as opposed to CGI, Christopher Nolan manages to make all the explosion sequences look so real, and by using the film's powerful message of handling weapons of mass destruction, it makes the movie look like a horror film without the blood, guts, and gore. Cillian Murphy delivers a fantastic performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer. Spending most of his career as a supporting actor in some of the biggest movies within the twenty years, Murphy finally achieved leading man status by giving a performance that is unforgettable while giving us a great understanding of who Oppenheimer was and how far he was willing to go to accomplish his theory of the atomic bomb. Robert Downey Jr. delivers an incredible performance as Lewis Strauss, the senior member of the United States Atomic Energy Commission and the film's main antagonist. Downey Jr. disappears into the role by making Strauss an unlikely character. He comes off as a monster who only cares about seeking reelection and plans to terminate Oppenheimer to make himself the hero when in reality, it was the other way around. The film contains a fantastic ensemble cast, and other actors that deliver great performances in this film include Emily Blunt as Katherine Oppenheimer, Matt Damon as Leslie Groves, Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, Josh Hartnett as Ernest Lawrence, Casey Affleck as Boris Pash, Rami Malek as David Hill, and Kenneth Branagh as Niels Bohr. Thanks to Christopher Nolan's incredible direction, fantastic practical effects, and phenomenal performances from Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr., "Oppenheimer" is a modern-day masterpiece that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. "Oppenheimer" continues to establish Christopher Nolan as one of the greatest directors of modern cinema, and in my opinion, this is Nolan's best film since 2008's "The Dark Knight."
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