How could a three-hour movie about a theoretical physicist appeal to mass audiences?

Hand it to Christopher Nolan, of course, whose adaptation of the 2005 biography American Prometheus made almost $1 billion at the box office.

The highest-grossing World War II film and biggest biopic ever is split into three distinct one hour acts.

The first introduces the audience to Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer and his scientific work, before the second takes the form of a heist movie in which he recruits his team to build and test the world’s first nuclear weapon.

In the aftermath of having dropping two on Japan, ending the Second World War, the third act is a court room drama in which the Father of the Atom Bomb is suspected of having communist sympathies.

A thrilling epic, Nolan uses black and white for objective scenes from the perspective of other characters and colour for subjective ones from Oppenheimer’s point of view.

Winner of seven Oscars including Best Actor for Murphy and Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr, the acclaimed British filmmaker was finally honoured with his first Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director.

Oppenheimer is now streaming on NOW.