The Dark Knight

Bruce Wayne is still trying to clean up Gotham, using his Batman persona to target the city’s remaining crime networks. He teams up with Lt. Jim Gordon and newly appointed District Attorney Harvey Dent to strike at organized crime’s infrastructure, hoping legal and vigilante pressure will change the balance. Their plan works for a while, until a chaotic new figure known as the Joker begins to unsettle everyone, undermining institutions and forcing each ally to question how far they're willing to go to protect the city. The movie focuses on rising tension and moral tradeoffs, keeping key twists and resolutions out of view.

Directed by Christopher Nolan and co-written by Nolan with Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer, the film was released in 2008 and adapts characters from DC Comics, continuing Nolan’s realistic take on the Batman mythos.

Heath Ledger received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor posthumously for his portrayal of the Joker. The film also earned multiple other Oscar nominations in technical and artistic categories, reflecting industry recognition beyond the single win.

Ledger’s performance and the film’s darker tone left a lasting mark on popular culture, influencing how blockbuster heroes and villains are portrayed in later films. Iconic images and the Joker’s anarchic presence became frequent reference points in media and discussion, and the movie is often cited when people talk about superhero stories that aim for moral complexity.

Critics and audiences responded strongly, reflected in an average vote of 8.525 out of 10 from 34,918 votes. Reviews praised the lead performances and the way the film raises questions about order, justice, and the limits of lawful power. It favors tense set pieces and ethical dilemmas over simple heroics, and it often prompts discussion about the cost of fighting crime when the rules start to bend.