The Dark Knight

Nolan's second Batman film established a new bar for superhero films, summer blockbusters, and contemporary filmmaking.

Considered a study in dramatic escalation, "The Dark Knight" is a complex crime thriller that raises issues about the extent to which decent people would go to get justice. By eschewing campy fantasy in favor of the gripping intimacy associated with directors like Michael Mann, "The Dark Knight" established a new standard for dark and gritty superhero films long before it became a cliché.

Few film characters have had such an instant impact on mainstream culture, like Joker by Heath Ledger, who rates among the greatest film baddies of all time. Ledger's perverted ingenuity is both frightening and frighteningly intriguing; he is so overbearing onscreen that you cannot seem to help but empathize with the film's overwhelmed hero. Bale offers another heartfelt, heartbreaking performance, while Aaron Eckhart's transition into Harvey Dent heightens the misery in a narrative about the fuzziness of virtue and evil.

Year of Release: 2008

Stars: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger

IMDB: 9.0