2010 Oscar-Nominated Film Was Just Named the 'Greatest Psychological Thriller of the Last 20 Years'
Critics and audiences alike are drawn to films that are gripping and unpredictable. For this reason, psychological thrillers tend to be box office successes and receive accolades.
Colliderrecently highlighted some of the best psychological thrillers released after 2006 by sharing a ranking of "the 10 greatest psychological thrillers of the last 20 years." The list featured hit films with plenty of unexpected twists, like 2019's Midsommar, Get Out from 2017, Gone Girl, released in 2014, and Black Swan from 2010.Christopher Nolan's beloved 2010 Oscar-nominated film, Inception, took home the list's top spot.
Collider complimented the movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Caine, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Elliot Page, for its unique script, overall ambiguity, and remarkable practical effects.
Christopher Nolan Shared How the Idea of 'Inception' Came About
In a 2010 interview with Tribute Movies, Nolan, who directed and wrote the movie, shared how he came up with the idea of Inception.
"It all really started from just an interest in dreams and the relationship with films and portrayal of dreams in films. And what I felt I'd never seen was the portrayal of a dream that you could believe in its reality, that is to say, one of the key lines in the film is 'Dreams feel real. Well, we're in them,'" said Nolan during the interview. "And so I wanted to make a film where the experience of dreaming was addressed in that real way, so even as something extraordinary is happening, you're invested in the reality of that world. Because movies, I think, are one of the great ways in which you can open up a world for the audience."
He also said he was interested in the "tension" that having dreams is both "a universal" yet "very private" experience.
"The idea that there might be a technology that would reconcile that tension and remove the barriers between us as we dream, so that we could share the same dream, I think the implications of that are fascinating and kind of frightening, and that's really the whole story," continued the director.
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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 5:41 PM.