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If there’s anything besides his remarkable directing skills that Christopher Nolan is more renowned for, it’s his brilliant use of wit and humor — something that he gets to display ever so often, especially during award ceremonies. Just like he did recently while accepting his accolade at the New York Film Critics Circle.
The event saw the filmmaker giving an acceptance speech that emphasized the need for critics in the entertainment industry, but not without sharing a rather hilarious story of him being humbled by his fitness instructor while working out as she landed him with a brutal verdict on his 2020 science fiction,Tenet.
Also Read:“It has to be Tenet”: Christopher Nolan Reveals 1 Instructor Slammed His Movie in a Class and Fans Have Gone Wild
The Time Christopher Nolan Got Bashed By His Fitness Instructor
Also Read:“He was a kid who wanted to get into Hollywood”: Christopher Nolan’s 1 Critically Acclaimed Movie Was Called ‘Pretentious’ by Prestige Author
At the recently held New York Film Critics Circle, Christopher Nolan was honored with the ‘Best Director’ accolade forOppenheimer. It was then that he shared the story of when he faced criticism for his movies when he least expected it: during a workout class by his Peloton instructor.
Revealing while giving his acceptance speech how cruelly his instructor bashed him for his 2020 movieTenet, the filmmaker said (via@NextBestPicture | X):
“I was on my Peloton doing a high-interval workout. I’m dying,” Nolan said. “The instructor started talking about one of my films and said, ‘Has anyone else seen this? Because that’s a couple hours of my life I’ll never get back again.’ [Laughter] When [film critic] Rex Reed takes a shit on your film, he doesn’t ask you to work out!”
A science fiction film based on mind inversion,Tenethad messed up so badly with Nolan’s Peloton instructor’s head that she couldn’t help but share her brutally critical thoughts on the movieeven while working outwithout even knowing the director was actually one of her students.
FollowingThe Dark Knighthelmer’s acceptance speech, the clip of the Peloton instructor’s criticism of his movie during her class also went viral. Identified as Jenn Sherman, the instructor can be seen saying (via404 Media):
“This song is from a soundtrack of a movie called Tenet. Anybody see this s—? Did anybody see this besides me? Because I need a manual. Someone’s got to explain this. Yeah, I’m not kidding, what the f— was going on in that movie? Do you understand? Seriously, you need to be a neuroscientist to understand. And that’s two and a half hours of my life that I want back. I want it back!”
ThoughChristopher Nolanhas been criticized before, probably none of them would’ve bashed him for his big screen works as lethally as his fitness instructor did!
Also Read:Christian Bale Ignored Christopher Nolan’s One Strict Rule While Shooting The Prestige
No Matter How Brutal, Christopher Nolan Still Appreciates Critics’ Reviews
Continuing in his acceptance speech, while Christopher Nolan admitted to sharing“a complex emotional relationship with critics and criticism”as a director, he also acknowledged and appreciated their presence and worth in the industry. He said:
“In today’s world, where opinions are everywhere, there is a sort of idea that film criticism is being democratized. But I, for one, think the critical appreciation of films shouldn’t be an instinct, but it should be a profession.”
Nolan then went on to address the critics who were also attending the event, further emphasizing the importance of their critical approach in the entertainment field.
“What we have here tonight is a group of professionals who attempt objectivity. Obviously, writing about cinema objectively is a paradox, but the aspirations of objectivity is what makes criticism vital and timeless and useful to filmmakers and the filmmaking community.”
You can watch Nolan’s acceptance speech here:
Christopher Nolan accepting the Best Director award at#NYFCCfor OPPENHEIMER#FilmTwitterpic.twitter.com/eHGnmuOUMC
— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture)June 17, 2025
For what it’s worth, a true filmmaker is one who understands the necessity of criticism as much as appreciation, and Christopher Nolan just proved that he is one of those true directors.
Mahin Sultan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2478
Mahin Sultan is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, where she brings a fresh perspective to entertainment news. Having been in the field for over 3 years now, she has already written more than 2,000 articles across a variety of niches, from entertainment to health and fashion. This diverse experience has allowed her to quickly build a solid foundation and a deep understanding of the industry.
