'I Have No Guilt': Christopher Nolan Talks Surprising Passion For This Film Franchise

Christopher Nolan makes no distinction between high and low cinema at least, not when it comes to one multibillion-dollar franchise.

The Oppenheimer director, who has constructed some of the most ambitious blockbusters of recent years, astounded Wednesdays Late Show audience by discussing his passion for the Fast & Furious movies.

Nolan has often sought to infuse pathos and sophistication into his work, even when making Batman films, but he told late night host Stephen Colbert  that I have no guilt about being a Fast fan.

Colbert, meanwhile, hasnt seen a single installment.

Youve never seen any of them? Nolan asked incredulously  on the Late Show.

I watch those movies all the time, he continued. I love them. Im amazed youve never seen one of them. ... Its only the last few where a very specific art and mythology develop. I would start with Tokyo Drift and just watch that as its own thing.

The 2006 movie that Nolan mentioned isnt actually a direct sequel to the first two films, which the Inception director hilariously forgot to a rather warranted zinger from Colbert: Did I just catch Chris Nolan not understanding something about time?

Some might be surprised that the British American auteur, who exclusively wears suits while directing, called the Fast series a tremendous action franchise. Others may note that the films have at times included engrossing set pieces, despite their cartoonish plots .

Nolan himself hasnt shied away from premises that may appear ridiculous on the surface, as he famously reinvigorated the Batman franchise to Oscar-winning success  and made an impressively dramatic thriller about dueling magicians .

The Fast franchise began humbly in 2001, with the late Paul Walker  starring as a police officer who falls in love with the street-racing world hes tasked to investigate. The original film spawned a number of sequels to a reported gross of more than $7 billion worldwide.

Nolan, whose latest film is currently up for 13 Academy Awards , has also discussed his Fast fandom in the past.

Ive got a very soft spot for Tokyo Drift, actually, he once said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast . And then the skill as the iterations got crazier and bigger and crazier and bigger, they became something else but something else kind of fun.