Have you seen those clips where they add a different background score to a pre-existing movie scene and it completely changes the mood and tone? That tells you just how important music is, and it feels like Hans Zimmer and Christopher Nolan understand it better than anyone!
Together, the director and composer duo have crafted some of the most unforgettable cinematic experiences for us. Zimmer’s scores do more than just accompany visuals; they shape how we feel emotions and add a cadence to the narrative.
So far, the two have collaborated on six projects together, and we’ve ranked them all for you, moving from worst to best (though there really isn’t anything “worst” here )
6. Batman Begins (2005)
Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard collaborated on Batman Begins’ film score. The two geniuses use music like a psychological architecture that mirrors the fear, guilt, and eventual transformation of Bruce Wayne. Zimmer took over the darker, action-oriented moments.
Throughout the movie, you’ll also hear a recurring two-note motif, which reminds us of Bruce’s constant inner turmoil, and the score heightens when he confronts his fear. It’s what the Dark Knight universe was built on, but compared to Zimmer’s later work with Nolan, it’s still less iconic.
Batman Begins is currently streaming on HBO (USA).
5. The Dark Knight Rises (2008)
The Dark Knight Rises develops on the themes of its predecessors, but is still just as good, especially when it comes to the Joker’s theme. The score in the final scene is a highlight and a perfect end to Batman’s saga.
Rise is still one of the most beloved tracks, but despite the epic music, a lot of it is borrowed from the previous movies in the franchise. Zimmer also reprised Molossus, which was originally introduced in Batman Begins, plus crafted the Bane theme using chants that were crowdsourced from fans.
The Dark Knight Rises is currently streaming on HBO (USA).
4. Dunkirk (2017)
Dunkirk is Christopher Nolan’s war feature, where Hans Zimmer turns the music into a character of its own. He creates a feeling of ever-rising tension through auditory effects. Throughout the film, Zimmer uses sirens, harsh strings, and other elements to really make you feel the anxieties of war.
Also, the ticking pocket watch sound, which becomes Dunkirk’s musical backbone, works effortlessly. Out of all the tracks, Supermarine feels the most urgent, with very little relief, until Variation 15 drops.
Dunkirk is available to rent and buy on Amazon (USA).
3. The Dark Knight (2008)
In The Dark Knight, Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard collaborated again. Zimmer handled the Joker’s theme, which is a minimal yet unsettling composition. It’s like a single razor-bladed note that keeps building, and getting uneasy.
The bank robbery scene becomes so much more iconic due to the background score, and every moment is laced with such chaotic and tension-building music. The movie’s soundtrack received critical acclaim and received several awards, including a Grammy for Best Soundtrack for Visual Media.
The Dark Knight is currently streaming on HBO (USA).
2. Inception (2010)
Inception is a multi-layered narrative, and Hans Zimmer made sure he did justice to Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi masterpiece. He made the most inventive music, with electronics and orchestra, to show the distortion of time inside dreams.
The score that hits the hardest in the movie is Dream is Collapsing, and as the characters keep descending deeper into dream levels, the music gets increasingly unreal. The texture and pulse all add to the movie’s emotional weight, as well as its themes of reality vs illusion. In the finale, we hear Time, a catharsis in the form of notes that starts simple and reaches a crescendo with time.
Inception is currently streaming on HBO (USA).
1. Interstellar (2014)
Interstellar is a timeless classic, and arguably Christopher Nolan’s best sci-fi feature. You could really feel the father-daughter bond, heightened with the presence of Hans Zimmer’s music. Somehow, the composer manages to make the score both grand and intimate.
And tracks like Corfield Chase, as well as Day One, show you the emotional range. But Zimmer creates literal magic with STAY, a tune that lives on in the hearts and minds of every Interstellar fan because it’s just that beautiful!
Interstellar is currently streaming on Kanopy (USA).
Zimmer’s soundtracks remind us that in Christopher Nolan’s world, music is as essential as the story. From the streets of Gotham to warfields and cosmos, each collaboration is distinct and perfectly suits the movie. But do you agree with our ranking, or would you shift the titles around a little bit?
