Bryan McAllister’s personal reference notebook
September 11, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
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Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
Screen & Stage • Film

Inception

Inception is a 2010 science fiction action thriller film written, directed, and co-produced by Christopher Nolan.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

Inception is a 2010 science fiction action thriller written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It follows Dom Cobb, a thief who enters dreams to steal secrets, as he is hired to plant an idea in a target's mind.

What it is

Inception is a film that blends heist, science fiction, and psychological thriller elements. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Dom Cobb, with an ensemble cast including Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, and Michael Caine. The story involves a team using dream-sharing technology to carry out corporate espionage across multiple dream layers.

Key details

The film was written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who also co-produced it with Emma Thomas. Released in 2010, it runs 148 minutes. Inception was a major commercial and critical success, earning more than US$800 million worldwide and winning four Academy Awards.

Why it matters

Inception explores themes of dreams, memory, reality, and the possibility of influencing thought. Its ambiguous ending has sparked widespread discussion. The film is relevant to Canadian readers because it stars Elliot Page, a Canadian actor, and was widely distributed in Canada.

In short

  • Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, released in 2010.
  • Stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a dream thief hired to plant an idea.
  • Earned over US$800 million worldwide and won four Oscars.
  • Features Canadian actor Elliot Page in a key role.
Canadian angle

Inception is relevant to Canadian readers because it is widely distributed in Canada and starred Elliot Page, a Canadian actor.

Quick questions

What is Inception?
Inception is a 2010 science fiction action thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan.
Who stars in Inception?
The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, with supporting roles by Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, and Michael Caine.
How successful was Inception?
It was both a critical and commercial success, earning more than US$800 million worldwide and winning four Academy Awards.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inception
    Supports: Basic film identification, release year, director, cast, and premise.
  2. Encyclopaedia Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/topic/Inception
    Supports: Plot summary, release year, commercial success, and general description.
  3. British Film Institute — https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/7666aa5b-0e00-50bc-8814-0028479d8767/inception
    Supports: Director, producers, cast, running time, and national production listing.
  4. IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/
    Supports: Director, writer, and plot synopsis.
  5. Wikipedia (Spanish) — https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inception
    Supports: Academy Award wins and nominations.