By Chris Snellgrove | Published
After the success of films like Oppenheimerit is fair to declare that Christopher Nolan is one of the greatest and most ambitious directors of this generation. His body of work is so vast and spans so many genres that Nolan fans often fiercely debate which is his best work. If you are a fan of science fiction, there is no doubt that Creation is the director’s masterpiece, and you can now stream its breathtaking perfection on Netflix.
Creation on Netflix
If you look Creation for the first time on Netflix, you may need some background on the plot: basically, we follow the misadventures of a group whose specialty is infiltrating the dreams of corporate titans and extracting important trade secrets from their subconscious. The leader of the group is hired to do something thought impossible: plant an idea in someone’s head rather than simply steal information. Despite impeccable planning, the operation quickly goes awry, leaving our protagonists fighting for their lives in a reality where the rules are constantly changing, threatening to transform the subconscious dreamscape into a deadly nightmare.
Creation is likely to attract Netflix viewers thanks to its incredible cast, starting with Leonardo DiCaprio as the dream thief hired to implant an idea into the subconscious of a target played by Cillian Murphy. Ken Watanabe plays the businessman who hires him and Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the partner who helps plan the heist. Other big names complete DiCaprio’s team, including Elliot Page and Tom Hardy, and our main character is haunted in the dreamscape by an ex-wife played to perfection by Marion Cotillard.
A science fiction success
With a budget of 160 million dollars, Creation is better than most sci-fi originals on Netflix, and you can definitely see the money on screen thanks to the larger-than-life images and trippy visuals used to bring the subconscious mind to life. Fortunately for Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros., this big-budget gamble paid off just as well. The film went on to gross a respectable $839 million at the box office, cementing its place in Hollywood history even as it became the source of endless hilarious memes.
Another way that Creation stands out from Netflix’s typical sci-fi offerings in that it has won numerous prestigious awards. Notably, the film won four Academy Awards, including the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and Best Cinematography (to date, it’s probably the best-looking film you see all year). And while it didn’t win those particular awards, the film was nominated for other Academy Awards such as Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, which gives you an idea of just how much this film impressed critics as well as the public.
Speaking of impressing critics, Creation stands out from other Netflix sci-fi films in the way it has won over individual reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a critical score of 87 percent, with critics generally praising how Inception is both a clever puzzle box of a film as well as a viscerally crowd-pleasing action epic. Meanwhile, on the site’s Pocornmeter, the audience gave it 91 percent, which certainly underlines how Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece has won over almost everyone who sees it.
Will you also be impressed by Creation when you stream it on Netflix, or is this sci-fi blockbuster part of your nightmares rather than your dreams? You won’t know until you click play and stream it yourself. And if you end up confusing fact and fiction while watching, take a look at Cotillard. The fact that DiCaprio’s major love interest in the film was 35 at the time (a decade older than DiCaprio’s real-life romantic partners) is a sure sign that you’re still (for better or worse) stuck in the real world.
