Oppenheimer should be excluded for the time being so that we may concentrate on some of the other partnerships the two developed over the years.
Before beginning production on Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy had a track record of success, having collaborated on five other successful films.
Murphy established himself as one of the director's favorite actors even though he didn't have a major role in those movies.
Even though their collaborative work was typically good, some of the films earned better reviews than others because it is difficult for the films to be as successful as each other.
The film that Nolan and Murphy collaborated on is therefore the one that actually wrapped up his Batman trilogy.
Fans openly complained that The Dark Knight Rises almost didn't have the renowned "Nolan touch" in the end because it wasn't as popular as its predecessors.
Under Nolan's direction, it was also the film in which Murphy received the lowest role possible.
Cillian's brief cameo as the Scarecrow felt like fan service to wrap up the story of the character.