Top 20 Best Batman Movies
#20: "Batman Forever" (1995)
Top 10 Batman Movies
When Warner Bros. wanted a more family friendly caped crusader tale, director Joel Schumacher and new Batman Val Kilmer stepped into the bat signal light. The results of their team-up were…unexpected to say the least. The sets were more extravagant, the dialogue was campy and the villains made three course meals out of the scenery. Despite the movie's flaws and some, ahem, added elements to the batsuit, there’s still things to love about the final product. Kilmer nailed both the physicality and duality of the character well. And it’s admittedly amusing to see him in the film’s most over-the-top scenes. While “Batman Forever” wasn’t exactly adored by fans at the time, it was a box office hit that’s still fun to revisit today.
#19: "Batman: Gotham Knight" (2008)
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Released in 2008 as a tie-in feature with "The Dark Knight," “Batman: Gotham Knight” is a collection of short films that depict the rise of the Batman on the Gotham City streets. Each story focuses on a different villain or psychological challenge that the dark knight must overcome. Since it is pretty much canon to the “Dark Knight Trilogy”, the shorts incorporate elements and characters from the live-action pictures. What makes each segment shine is that the animation styles vary while the legendary actor Kevin Conroy portrays Batman throughout. This collection was roundly praised as providing viewers with a fresh perspective of the Dark Knight. The visual and story risks that these shorts take help give the complete film a timeless feel.
#18: "Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders" (2016)
Robert Pattinson Is Batman
After playing Batman in the 1960s, Adam West made a glorious return to the role for this animated feature. He was joined by Burt Ward and Julie Newmar reprising their roles as Robin and Catwoman respectively. Their voices shine in a cast full of Batman’s best rogues and recurring characters. All of them star in an absurd plot that takes the caped crusaders from the scene of a robbery to the vastness of space. The film is packed full of all the campy camaraderie that the original shows were known for. Its jazzy underscore, colorful action and tongue-in cheek humor also kept us thoroughly entertained. Holy Return to form, Batman!
#17: "Batman: Hush" (2019)
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This grim and thrilling drama shows that being close to The Dark Knight can have disastrous consequences. As Bruce pursues a romance with Catwoman and tries to rekindle a friendship with his friend Tommy Elliot, a mysterious bandaged villain named Hush commits horrible acts. Batman’s forced to uncover the secret behind who this antagonist really is while avoiding a collection of his most dangerous supervillains. This compelling adventure features fantastic fight scenes and the dark knight nearly breaking his one rule. While readers may have seen this story in comics, the animated movie makes a few changes to surprise fans of the storyline. Although we’ll stay quiet about the secrets, we’ll definitely recommend that you see how the mystery unfolds.
#16: "Batman: The Movie" (1966)
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While modern audiences might think Adam West’s live action version of Batman is off base for the brooding vigilante, his lighter narratives were reflective of the source material at the time. That’s why it’s so great to watch him in a campy 1966 movie where Batman and Robin are tasked with stopping an evil alliance of notorious villains. Along the way, they have to stop a dehydrating machine, avoid torpedoes from a penguin submarine and dispose of a bomb. Thanks to the committed performances of the cast, the movie radiates with charm. Audiences are way too busy laughing at silly scenarios to worry about logic. If you’re looking for a fun blast from Batman’s past, grab your shark repellent and give this classic a chance.
#15: "Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero" (1998)
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During this gripping story, Mr. Freeze leaves his isolated existence to save his wife Nora’s life. He soon discovers that the only way to keep her alive is to put Batgirl through a potentially fatal organ transplant. While Mr. Freeze prepares for this dangerous surgery, Batman and Robin race to save their ally’s life. The high stakes and the villain’s sympathetic motivations kept viewers frozen in front of their screens during the narrative. Its unique art style also makes it stand out amongst the many, many Batman films out there. And the brilliant vocal performances also make every character feel real. This serious Mr. Freeze story will give you chills.
#14: “Son of Batman” (2014)
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Batman’s relatively normal life in Gotham is upended when League of Assassins member Talia reveals that they have a son together named Damian. As she pursues the sinister Deathstroke, Bruce must try to keep his only child from embracing a killer instinct. Despite the dark premise of the story, the “Son of Batman” has a lot of great humor. It’s awesome to see Bruce and Damian bounce off each other while learning how to work together. And since this movie is part of an extended universe, it does a great job at setting up the duo’s relationship for future films. Their film is ultimately both a great foundation and standalone tale about an unlikely father and son.
#13: "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker" (2000)
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Years after an elderly Bruce was forced to retire from being a hero in the field, the young and edgy Terry McGiness stepped up as Batman. Their successful partnership is threatened when a thought to be dead Joker makes a terrifying comeback. In order to figure out how the clown appeared in the future, Terry must look into the dark past of Bruce and his allies. The movie does a wonderful job at giving every main character their own arc and motivations. It also repeatedly reminds us of the heavy toll that a life of crime fighting can take. Packed with tremendous twists and haunting scenes, this story goes above and beyond to deliver a fantastic tale of two Bat-men.
#12: "Batman: Year One" (2011)
Michael Keaton VS Christian Bale VS Robert Pattinson as Batman
While we typically picture Batman as a composed hero who’s always at the top of his game, “Batman Year One” showed us a much more inexperienced dark knight. As Bruce struggles to become a feared vigilante, new GCPD lieutenant Jim Gordon learns how corrupt Gotham truly is. The narrative provides great origin stories for both Batman and his eventual police partner. At the same time, we get incredible imagery and voice acting. While the stellar Bryan Cranston plays the lieutenant, Ben McKenzie, who ironically played Gordon on “Gotham”, is Bruce. The duo’s fantastic chemistry and fascinating histories made Batman’s year one look like an exhilarating time.
#11: "Batman vs Robin" (2015)
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Although Damian tried dealing out justice instead of vengeance, a new villain named Talon encourages the young sidekick to take a more brutal approach. Batman has to struggle to keep his son on the right path without falling into the clutches of the frightening Court of Owls. Not only does the movie deliver on Bruce and Damian’s fight, but it also raises great moral questions. It also makes sure that all the heroes and villains are three dimensional characters that you can get invested in. And if all that wasn’t great enough, “Batman vs Robin” makes sure to sneak in clever nods to the rich Batman mythos. Even if Bruce and Damian didn’t trade blows, this layered movie would still be superb.
#10: “The Batman” (2022)
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#9: "Batman: Under The Red Hood" (2010)
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If you ask any fan of the dark knight’s animated movies, they’ll name "Batman: Under the Red Hood '' as one of their favorites. The dark narrative kicks off with a huge bang when we see Jason Todd’s Robin meet his demise at the Joker’s hands. Sometime after Bruce’s grim loss, his surrogate son returns as the violent vigilante Red Hood. The duo’s opposing ideals of how to stop crime strain their already fractured relationship. While the film does boast spectacular action scenes, its true strength lies with its emotional and complex conversations. Even its finale is more of a psychological thriller than a bombastic set piece. The movie’s sharp dialogue and heartbreaking turns make “Under the Red Hood” a tragedy you can’t look away from.
#8: "The Lego Batman Movie" (2017)
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After becoming a breakout star in “The Lego Movie”, this version of Batman got to star in his own solo picture. No one was expecting this plastic facsimile of the Caped Crusader to capture the dark aspects of the character while still remaining true to the lego universe’s happier tone. The relationships that Batman has with Robin, Barbara and even the Joker of all people are all surprisingly touching in their own ways. Outside of great character work, the movie’s so packed with easter eggs, references and Batman movie gags that you’ll need to watch it multiple times. It still blows us away that one of the funniest and best constructed stories about the dark knight rests on the heads of a few lego characters.
#7: "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" Parts 1 & 2 (2012-13)
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Although this movie adaptation is in two parts, we’ll put them into one entry because they make up one fantastic story about an old and jaded Batman. When an out of practice Bruce puts on the cape again to fight new threats, the Joker’s inspired to take more lives. The situation gets so out of hand that the President sends Superman to permanently retire the bat. Since their story is set in the Cold War era, there’s lots of sharp and relevant political commentary underneath the superhero action. And speaking of exciting scenes, the fight between the bat and man of steel is one of the best hero vs hero clashes in any medium. Batman himself couldn’t have prepped a better comeback story.
#6: "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012)
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There was tons of hype for the conclusion to Christopher Nolan's “Dark Knight” trilogy. After Batman sacrifices his standing with the GCPD to save Gotham, Bane arrives to threaten the city. This imposing new villain manages to tear Bruce’s life to shreds and successfully take Batman out of commission. In our hero’s darkest hour, the audience is left wondering whether Gotham will fall or if anyone can rise to save it. While the movie has a few head-scratching twists that keep it from perfection, it still boasts an iconic performance from Tom Hardy as Bane. He was an excellent final boss during Christian Bale’s farewell to his time as Batman. Seeing the hero overcome impossible odds made for an inspiring end to an excellent trilogy.
#5: "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" (1993)
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Released right between two big budget live action movies, "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" is considered by many fans to be a better film than its contemporary cinema releases. The movie explores how Bruce became dedicated to his mission of being Gotham’s protector. At the same time, it highlights his burning desire for a life outside of vigilante justice. Bruce must fight this internal battle while combating the new Phantasm villain. The narrative is full of awe-inspiring writing and stupendous vocal work. While Mark Hamill unsurprisingly kills it as the Joker, Kevin Conroy arguably gives the best Bruce Wayne performance of his career here. Their work helped “Mask of the Phantasm” become a top-tier interpretation of what it truly means to be Batman.
#4: "Batman Returns" (1992)
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Although this Batman story is set at Christmas, it’s far from a jolly tale. After the Penguin emerges from the sewers of Gotham, its citizens begin to suffer. Batman’s efforts to stop him are complicated by his love interest Catwoman’s thirst for revenge. The relentlessly grim tone and unsettling imagery wasn’t widely accepted at first. But over time, fans appreciated the creativity and heart this sequel contains. While you might see Penguin flying away on a convenient umbrella one moment, the next scene might advance a tragic love story. The movie’s slick balance of comedic and dramatic plots build up to a shocking and memorable ending. By the time “Batman Returns” concludes, you’ll feel like you’ve unwrapped a great gift you didn’t know you wanted.
#3: "Batman Begins" (2005)
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Nearly a decade after the franchise went underground, “Batman Begins” rekindled audience excitement for the dark knight. This narrative jumped around time to chronicle how Bale’s Batman came to be. Its relatively grounded and realistic approach to vigilantism instantly set it apart from superhero stories that had come before. However, everyone stayed for the fantastic interpretations of franchise mainstays. Michael Caine’s Alfred, Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow and Liam Neeson’s Ra’s al Ghul all set new bars for how their characters should be portrayed. And Bale stood at the center as a strong contender for best dark knight of all time. “Batman Begins” was a fresh start for the character that ultimately kicked off a new era of superhero films.
#2: "Batman" (1989)
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The 1989 “Batman” movie was a huge gamble. Not only did they cast a comedic actor named Michael Keaton as the hero, but they were also going to treat the dark knight seriously. Against all odds, this movie absolutely worked. Keaton was lauded for his portrayal of a conflicted and heroic Bruce Wayne. Audiences also couldn’t get enough of Jack Nicholson’s legendary turn as Joker. And thanks to inspired production design, Gotham had a unique look that forever changed how we picture the city. This movie became so beloved that fans went wild over reports Keaton would appear in a “Flash” movie decades after he last played the character. It’s mind-blowing to think that a once risky project is now an iconic and influential film.
FAKEOUT #1: "Batman and Robin" (1997)
Could there be any doubt? 1997 saw a dramatic shift in the paradigm of Batman movies–and… oh boy, we can’t even joke about it. Our top Batman movie is definitely not this poorly scripted, terribly acted, awfully characterized over-the-top toy commercial. The true #1 is the one this list deserves and needs right now.
#1: "The Dark Knight" (2008)
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Largely considered to be one of the best thrillers of all time, "The Dark Knight" is the pinnacle of Batman movies. This crime drama pits Bale’s caped crusader against Heath Ledger’s Academy Award-winning Joker. Their story is excellently paced, brilliantly acted and contains twists that not even the world’s greatest detective could see coming. Although it could’ve leaned into CGI for its setpieces, a commitment to practical stunts made each action scene feel visceral. And we don’t even know which incredibly quotable line to highlight first. The engrossing tale was considered so significant that it was preserved in the library of congress. Generations from now, “The Dark Knight” will still be seen as one of the most important Batman films ever made.
