Barbenheimer has finally come! Last weekend saw record-setting numbers at the box office, and we have no doubt that Oppenheimer and Barbie will continue to dominate theaters across the world for the foreseeable future. Christopher Nolan is responsible for Oppenheimer, and his acclaimed films usually feature a stacked cast of A-listers. His latest effort centers on World War II, when physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer is tapped to work on the top-secret Manhattan Project with hopes of stopping the Nazis and Japan. It was a long ordeal creating the infamous atomic bomb, as evidenced in Oppenheimer's three-hour duration.
A handful of A-list actors play the folks who assisted with making the bomb that dropped on Hiroshima. Since there are so many of them in the film, we took the time to list the finest performances in descending order. Spoilers below!
10 David Krumholtz as Isidor Isaac Rabi
Anyone who saw The Slums of Beverly Hills and The Santa Clause knew David Krumholtz was a star in the making during the 1990s. Decades later, he’s working with Hollywood’s finest directors, including the Coen brothers (Hail Caesar!) and now Christopher Nolan. Krumholtz nails the role as colleague and friend of Oppenheimer's, and his scenes with Culkin Murphy are fun and breezy — even with things get serious. He's always reminding the ever-stressed out physicist to eat, and these moments provide a bit of comic reliief throughout the otherwise grim tale.
9 Benny Safdie as Edward Teller
Behind the camera, Benny Safdie and his brother are responsible for hit indie films like Uncut Gems and Good Time, the latter of which Safdie also starred in. Since then, he’s taken on plenty of other juicy roles, including Pieces of a Woman and Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. In Oppenheimer, he dons a thick Hungarian accent as Edward Teller, a physicist who some might remember as "the father of the hydrogen bomb." Safdie has some pretty dramatic moments amid the atomic bomb aftermath.
8 Tom Conti as Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein on the big screen! Lookalike Tom Conti nailed his few scenes as the genius who played a part in Oppenheimer's atomic bomb creation. His on-screen colleague-like chemistry with co-star Cillian Murphy are some of the most powerful across the film's three-hour duration.
7 Josh Hartnett as Ernest Lawrence
He's back! After years away from the spotlight, American actor Josh Hartnett (now 45 years old) has been slowly making his way back into Tinseltown. After a couple of recent Guy Ritchie projects and an interstellar episode of Black Mirror, Hartnett plays a juicy role in Oppenheimer alongside Cillian Murphy, as their characters' team gradually makes their way toward the Manhattan Project's ultimate goal that is the atomic bomb. Hartnett looks the part and so much more. Good to see you again, sir!
6 Gary Oldman as President Harry S. Truman
You may have heard by now that Oscar winner Gary Oldman makes a stellar cameo in Oppenheimer — or maybe you've just seen it for yourself. His White House appearance as President Truman will quickly remind you why he's such an iconic actor. Pictured above is Oldman's previous role in a Christopher Nolan film, from the Dark Knight trilogy. With Oppenheimer, we remember how Oldman is also quite skilled in playing villainous roles. In his lone scene, Oldman's Truman faces off against the titular character in, essentially, a game of verbal chicken. You'll see what I mean...
5 Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock
Florence Pugh's sex scenes with Murphy are making headlines at the moment. In Oppenheimer, the Academy Award-nominated actress plays Jean, an on-again, off-again love interest throughout the film whose mentally-conflicted character ultimately has a tragic ending. Pugh continues to take Hollywood by storm following her other talked-about film from last year, Don't Worry Darling. "Don't get me flowers" is perhaps her most memorable line in Oppenheimer, as she repeatedly tries in vain to turn away the temptations of Murphy's persona during the film.
4 Matt Damon as Leslie Groves
Make that two awards-caliber roles for Matt Damon this year. First came Ben Affleck's Air, where Damon played the Nike guy responsible for signing Michael Jordan himself. With Oppenheimer, Damon tackles a supporting role that was perhaps even more fun to perform, as the wise-cracking U.S. military man who coordinates the New Mexico breeding ground for WWII's atomic bomb. "'Zero' would be nice," he tells Oppenheimer when told that the chances of the whole world ending are slim when they try detonating the atomic bomb.
3 Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss
This is Robert Downey Jr.'s best role in years, and it won't be surprising if he gets an Oscar nomination or win for Best Supporting Actor in the upcoming race. Here, the Iron Man actor plays Lewis Strauss, who's often regarded as a villain in American history thanks to the controversial Oppenheimer security clearance hearings following the atomic-bomb dropping. Thank goodness for a role like this, so that Downey Jr. doesn't remain pigeonholed as Tony Stark forever. His monochromatic scenes are some of the film's most tense and rewarding alongside co-star Alden Ehrenreich.
2 Emily Blunt as Kitty Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer is certainly dominated by male personalities, but that doesn't mean A-listers like Emily Blunt — in addition to Florence Pugh — can't shine as well. Blunt plays Oppenheimer's wife Kitty, who we see spiral into alcoholism as she juggles parenting with a high-maintenance chap like J. Roger.
She may get a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her work here, and the scene that would seal the deal comes in the third act when she's interrogated by Roger Robb (Jason Clarke) during her husband's security-clearance hearings. It's her moment of utter glory and serves as a fresh reminder why Blunt just cannot be stopped. We can't wait for her starring role in the next A Quiet Place installment, of course!
1 Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer
And then there's the man himself, Thomas Shelby — oh wait, that's another beloved Cillian Murphy project, aka Peaky Blinders. Murphy finally gets a lead role in a Christopher Nolan feature with Oppenheimer. Not only is he just the titular role, but he virtually swallows the entire movie whole with his dominating performance — and that's saying something for a film that's overstuffed with a plethora of other famous actors.
He's slimmed down, and you simply cannot look away from those piercing eyes radiating knowledge and terror. If Murphy doesn't get showered in nominations come award season, I will be surprised, to say the least.
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