We hardly understand our own dreams. Although they are an everyday occurrence for many, their mysterious nature continues to fascinate us, and many films have explored this nocturnal phenomenon, but none is as famous as Christopher Nolan’s 2010 film, Inception.

Inception has won over 32 awards and has an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. In his film, Nolan depicts a beautiful dream world and shows the main character, Dom Cobb, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, goes through the challenge of testing the human mind through inception, the act of dreaming within a dream, and dealing with grief of his wife’s death.

The film features incredible set design. In perhaps one one of the film’s most iconic scenes, the hotel hallway scene, the characters start to free fall. To create this experience, the hallway set for the production was built to spin round and round while Arthur, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, fought and ran on the walls, floor, and ceiling. To achieve this, they built a giant cylinder and made mechanics to make it turn and twist. The use of practical effects over special effects is a staple of Nolan’s films, but this film in particular acts as the perfect blend of the two, with the use of special effects to create a fantastical cityscape within a dream that folds in on itself in impossible ways.

The actors in the film give spectacular performances, as they capture the thrilling intensity of the situations they find themselves in, especially in the film’s climactic finale. All of the characters are well-written and distinct from one another, many of them such as Elliot Page, and Wally Pfister earning awards from this movie. 

Inception’s ending is known as one of the most debated and researched endings in cinema. This easter egg filled and detail-oriented movie has impeccable action, amazing sound-mixing, and a mind boggling plot. It is definitely worth a watch!