Christopher Nolan is one of the biggest directors in Hollywood, with The Odyssey proving to be yet another huge hit. But as the epic continues to dominate headlines, the unexpected case of the Nolans’ eldest brother has resurfaced. Earlier this week, an X user wrote, “I wonder how much of Nolan’s filmography is him trying to understand his brother and why he did what he did.” For the uninitiated, Nolan has two brothers, the youngest being Jonathan Nolan, a successful writer and producer in his own right. As well as co-creating Westworld, the brothers have collaborated on multiple projects including Memento, Interstellar, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. I wonder how much of Nolan’s filmography is him trying to understand his brother and why he did what he did. — Comrade Josh (@comradejosh7) July 22, 2026 At the height of their Dark Knight fame, their eldest brother, Matthew Nolan, made headlines for a very different reason. The case began in 2005, when a 63-year-old American accountant named Robert Cohen was found badly beaten and murdered in Costa Rica. In 2008, as per The Times, Chicago police sergeant John Lucki said the authorities were initially investigating Matthew over an alleged cheque-kiting scheme. The scam involved depositing cheques from underfunded Costa Rican bank accounts before withdrawing the money in the US, with officials estimating Matthew got away with at least $600,000 at that time. Lucki also alleged that Matthew had told bankers he was involved in financing The Dark Knight, even offering premiere tickets, visits to the film’s set and rides in the Batmobile to gain their trust. As Chicago police closed in on him, they were shocked to discover he was also under FBI surveillance. Turns out, the FBI believed he could be linked to Robert Cohen’s murder, having been the last person to see him before his death. @saruuuuuuugh this would honestly make a great movie #fyp #filmtok #christophernolan #theodyssey #oppenheimer ♬ original sound – sarah – sarah Interpol had issued a Red Notice for Matthew’s arrest in 2006, and after a US arrest warrant followed two years later, FBI Special Agent Pablo Araya began monitoring his home in Chicago. “I saw his wife, his kids, his nanny, and his mother-in-law, but I never saw him,” Araya said. “He was hiding in Florida. He knew we were after him.” Finally, in 2009, Matthew and his wife, Erika Nolan, turned up to court for a bankruptcy hearing. Araya and his team took the opportunity and swooped in, arresting Matthew on a US warrant linked to Cohen’s kidnapping and murder. Costa Rican prosecutors sought to extradite Matthew amid allegations that a Florida businessman named Robert Breska had hired him as a hitman to help kill Cohen. The request also suggested that Matthew had used the code name “Matthew McCall Oppenheimer” while gaining Cohen’s trust. It’s the strangest of coincidences, but there’s no evidence to suggest any ties to Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer movie. Credit: Universal Pictures But that wasn’t the only unusual incident to unfold following his arrest. While awaiting the outcome of the extradition proceedings in a Chicago federal prison, Matthew was accused of plotting an elaborate escape. Authorities said they discovered a rope braided from bedsheets, a makeshift harness, a modified pen clip that could allegedly unlock handcuffs and a razor blade hidden inside a bar of soap. Local newspapers dubbed it a “Batman-style” prison break due to Christopher’s hit superhero films. Although Matthew was charged to 14 months behind bars due to this escape attempt, the murder case ultimately unravelled. In October 2009, a US judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to extradite Matthew on the aggravated murder and kidnapping allegations, finding there was no evidence he had planned the crimes or personally used violence against Cohen. After his release, Matthew has vanished from the spotlight. According to a 2024 report from the Mirror, the Cohen murder case is still “open”. The victim’s daughter, Alisha Cohen, said, “The investigation is moving in the right direction. It is definitely moving forward.” For all the latest film and TV updates and hot takes, like our Facebook page. Featured image credit: WIktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Post navigation Next storyPrevious story
