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The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight

Welcome to a world without rules.

2008152 minPG-13Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Director
Christopher Nolan
Starring
Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine

Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Dark Knight?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Dark Knight streaming on HBO Max and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about The Dark Knight?

The Dark Knight earns 13 badges, led by Top 1% of films and Oscar Winner.

Show 5 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Dark Knight worth watching?

The Dark Knight's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all films, from 8.1M ratings across 6 sources. 95% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of films

99th percentile among Crime99th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)99th
Approval (how many liked it)99th

89 /100

99th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Crime99th percentile among 2000s

Critics 85 · Audience 89

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

95% liked it

99th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Crime99th percentile among 2000s
95% rated it 7–105% rated it 1–6

Critics 94% · Audience 94%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

2 Oscars won · 6 Oscar noms · 52 wins / 45 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Sound Editing
  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

90th percentile

8.1M ratings across platforms

86th percentile among Crime83rd percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 7% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$185M
Opening weekend$158M
Domestic gross$535M
Worldwide gross$1B

Returned 5.5× its budget — 99th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a dark, ambitious, and gritty crime epic centered on the battle between Batman and the Joker.

Fans praised

  • Heath Ledger's iconic, transformative performance as Joker
  • Gripping, morally complex crime-drama story
  • Nolan's masterful direction and ambitious scope

Detractors panned

  • Overlong and bloated with unnecessary subplots
  • Batman's gruff voice is unintentionally comedic
  • Joker's implausible schemes break realism

What stands out

ActingDivisive95

Ledger's career-defining Joker; Bale's committed Batman; strong supporting cast

CharactersDivisive90

Deeply written Joker as agent of chaos; tragic Harvey Dent arc

AtmosphereDivisive90

Dark, oppressive Gotham; sense of escalating chaos

DialogueDivisive85

Sharp, quotable exchanges, especially Joker's philosophical taunts

CinematographyDivisive85

Gritty, immersive IMAX visuals and practical effects

Plot and storyDivisive80

Dense crime narrative with moral weight, but some call it convoluted

Effects and spectacleDivisive80

Thrilling practical stunts; batpod and truck chase

PacingDivisive70

Relentless momentum praised by fans; detractors cite drag

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s even
  • Critics vs users even
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is The Dark Knight like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseMelancholicThrillingDread
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its material completely straight, presenting a dark, serious world where the stakes are life and death, and the Joker's chaos is deeply unsettling.
The rideSustained tension with melancholic undertones, punctuated by thrilling action.
StructureThe story unfolds in a straightforward chronological order with a clear setup, escalation, and climax.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

The answer rests on this: Haunting · 14% of filmsThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's dark themes and the Joker's chaos linger, forcing reflection on morality and sacrifice.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeBatman, Gordon, and Dent battle the Joker, a chaotic villain who terrorizes Gotham to prove that anyone can break.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% (this title) · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% (this title) · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsSacrifice · 4% of filmsCorruption · 3% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film interrogates the tension between justice and chaos, and the personal sacrifices required to maintain order.
StanceThe film interrogates the cost of vigilantism and the fragility of civic hope through the intertwined arcs of Batman, Dent, Gordon, and the Joker.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanStylized realism
ElectronicSupportive music · original score · Hans Zimmer
SettingA sprawling, near-future metropolis in escalating crisis, where organized crime, city politics, and vigilante activity collide.
MusicThe two-note Joker motif (often a rising cello figure) is used to signal his menace without a traditional theme.

Content guide

Is The Dark Knight okay for kids?

PG-13

The Dark Knight is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and some menace” (MPAA). As of October 5, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (70/100), sexual content at minimal (11/100), language at mild (34/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at severe (86/100). Overall it is heavier than 95% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 46 other countries
  • UK12A
  • Canada14A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland15A
  • New ZealandM
  • JapanG
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil12
  • AE16+
  • Argentina13
  • Austria14
  • Belgium16
  • BGC
  • CO7
  • Czechia18+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-12
  • GreeceK-13
  • Hong KongIIB
  • Hungary16
  • ID13+
  • IndiaUA
  • IS12
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoB
  • MTPG
  • MYU
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • PE14
  • PhilippinesR-13
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/12
  • RO18
  • Russia12+
  • SingaporePG
  • SK15
  • South Africa13
  • Spain12
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland14
  • Taiwan保護級
  • TH15
  • Türkiye13+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 65% of all filmsHeavier than 95% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 92%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 12%
Profanity
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 30%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 56%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 98%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material and violence. Everything else sits at or below what PG-13-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Dark Knight have?

MovieCove's classifier found 6 depicted content warnings in The Dark Knight: Gun violence (severe), plus 5 withheld here because they would spoil the plot. 1 more is mentioned only, in dialogue or backstory: Child abuse. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereGun violence
MentionedChild abuse

Mentioned: referenced in dialogue or backstory, not shown in the story’s present.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Dark Knight?

Cast

6 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor; Heath Ledger won the Oscar for this film.

Christian Bale
as Bruce Wayne
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Heath Ledger
as Joker
Oscar win: Academy Award — Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Aaron Eckhart
as Harvey Dent
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Michael Caine
as Alfred
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Maggie Gyllenhaal
as Rachel
Gary Oldman
as Gordon
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Morgan Freeman
as Lucius Fox
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Monique Gabriela Curnen
as Ramirez
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.
Ron Dean
as Wuertz
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Cillian Murphy
as Scarecrow

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Dark Knight?

Movies like The Dark Knight include Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and Spider-Man 2 (2004). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films by Christopher Nolan, and most are superhero films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

7 of these 12 share its praise for characters. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Dark Knight?

605 other films share the rarest tag below, follows: superhero. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.