Ok, let’s get the puns out of the way – Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer will blow you away. In fact, it explodes into an engrossing triumph of filmmaking. Yes, Nolan has done it again. Although this time, it’s not another epic edge-of-your-seat action thrill ride (although there are moments of genuine thrills and tension – lots of tension). Nope, the twisty visuals of Inception and fast-moving chaos of Tenet have been traded in for a brainier and dialogue heavy character study. Luckily, the person of interest is, well, interesting. J. Robert Oppenheimer’s story is a fascinating one – and not just because of what he helped create. It’s not just “Oppy” that gets the spotlight though. All the key players are here, including Albert Einstein and the political dynamo Lewis Strauss. And they are all portrayed with believable conviction by a cast of seemingly endless A-listers. Leading the way, of course, is a wholly committed Cillian Murphy in one heck of a tour-de-force performance as Oppenheimer (let’s not forget this come awards season shall we). Yes, the performances hit the right chords, as do the many technical elements. I mean, it wouldn’t be a Christopher Nolan film if there wasn’t an assortment of jaw dropping visuals to behold. And trust me, there are. There are also some wonderful things done with the sound in this picture. Yes, it’s loud and booming, but there are moments of “pin-drop” silence that go a long way. And with drool worthy cinematography, it all adds up to a thunderous and biting experience.