Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” delves into the life and work of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the influential figure behind the invention of nuclear weapons. The epic creatively explores Oppenheimer’s collaboration with the nation’s finest scientists, Lieutenant Generals Leslie Groves and Lewis Strauss on the Manhattan Project, which sought to stay ahead of Nazi Germany’s nuclear weapons development during World War II. According to History, the Manhattan Project, which operated from 1942 to 1946, was a research and development project that facilitated the creation of the first atomic bombs, which would then be detonated in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
Oppenheimer’s efforts have had a long and polarizing legacy in national and global nuclear proliferation and development, ranging from the arms race of the Cold War to the ever-present threat of nuclear war. The subject was complex and controversial and even stirred polarizing emotions among those on the Manhattan Project, including Oppenheimer himself.
Whether you’ve been planning to see “Oppenheimer” in theaters soon or you’ve already seen it, here are some of the best must-see documentaries about the famous physicist and the impact of the atomic bomb on our society.
