You know you are watching a Christopher Nolan film if…

Whether it be one of his earlier films (Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins) or his more recent work (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Dunkirk), with Nolan, you are never quite really sure where you stand. And as a movie-goer, I can attest that ‘this’ is a very good thing.

2. A stellar cast

Directors often repeat their actors, which says that they have managed to develop a certain camaraderie on sets which not only works for them as individuals but for the movie as a whole. Nolan has worked multiple times with Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy and Christian Bale.

Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale in a still from Prestige.

When you look at the collective cast of all the movies Christopher Nolan has helmed till date, you would be astounded by their combined star power and talent. Michael Caine, Christian Bale, (the very underrated) Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Leonardo DiCaprio, Hugh Jackman, David Bowie, Andy Serkis, Heath Ledger, Scarlett Johannson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Ellen Page — the list is endless.

3. Great visuals and the perfect musical score to go with it

As with his actors, Nolan tends to repeat his cinematographers as well. The filmmaker often collaborates with Wally Pfister to give his audience some spellbinding moments on the screen. And while I know that we are talking about Nolan here, who has given us Inception and Dunkirk (what with all the visual effects and the great landscape), my favourite sequence is still that shot of Heath Ledger as Joker, in nurse costume and a remote blaster in hand, sauntering down the street like the whole situation is nothing out of ordinary.

And now to music. I have two words for you — Hans Zimmer. Best not to bother with adjectives here.

You know you are watching | Quentin Tarantino | Vishal Bhardwaj | Nora Ephron

4. Looks epic

Yes, producers are willing to spend a lot of money on Christopher Nolan movies because they would get to witness something spectacular on celluloid. Something that not only shows the money spent on the project but the hard work that has gone into making it.