Oppenheimer is being called the 'best' and 'most important' film of the century

If you're looking for some top-tier endorsement for Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated Oppenheimer, then look no further.

The latest film from the Batman trilogy director has already established itself as a huge part of the current cultural discourse, with critics and fans alike agreeing that 'Barbienheimer' (as both Greta Gerwig's Barbie and Nolan's latest will be released on the same day) is going to be a very busy cinematic event.

With Peaky Blinders' Cillian Murphy in the role of the titular physicist Robert Oppenheimer - considered the father of the atomic bomb - the film also starrs Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr, and has earned rave first reviews.

Among these, Nolan's fellow filmmaker - screenwriter and critic Paul Schrader - gave Oppenheimer his stamp of approval in one of his usual candid Facebook posts.

Known for having penned the script of Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver, Schrader also directed several films, including 1980's American Gigolo starring Richard Gere, as well as a more recent 'loose trilogy' composed of Ethan Hawke's First Reformed, Oscar Isaac's The Card Counter and Joel Edgerton's Master Gardener, released in 2017, 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Universal Pictures

The filmmaker took to the social platform to share a picture of himself with Nolan, calling Oppenheimer 'the most important film of this century'.

"OPPENHEIMER. The best, most important film of this century," Schrader wrote on his Facebook page.

"If you see one film in cinemas this year it should be Oppenheimer. I’m not a Nolan groupie but this one blows the doors off the hinges," he added.

Schrader also responded to a fan who was considering driving three hours to see Oppenheimer in IMAX 70mm - Nolan's preferred option to watch his latest film in all its bombastic glory.

70mm is a format with a higher resolution compared to that of 4K, capturing more details and giving viewers a more immersive experience.

Schrader, who saw the film in Max 70mm himself, said it was 'worth the trip.'

Universal Pictures

It's safe to say that the filmmaker's words of praise got Nolan fans even more eager to watch Oppenheimer, with one person commenting: "I was already excited to see it but you just blew the expectations through the roof and far beyond!"

"Wow. That's high praise coming from you," another fan noted.

Alongside Murphy, Pugh, Blunt and Downey Jr, Oppenheimer also features Matt Damon, Kenneth Branagh, Rami Malek and Gary Oldman, among other big names.

Oppenheimer - as well as Barbie - will be released in cinemas on July 21.