For years, I have considered myself a superhero movie fiend. I’d seen every Marvel movie and all of the recent entries into the DC Cinematic Universe. Yet, there were still three superhero movies I hadn’t seen. Not just any superhero movies, but a trilogy that is considered to be the PEAK of superhero movies. That trilogy being Christopher Noland’s, “The Dark Knight” trilogy. And with quarantine in full swing, no sports to watch or live TV, I had to finally watch the sacred trilogy. 

Now don’t get me wrong, every movie in the trilogy is amazing. Not just in my opinion but to bloggers, reviewers and movie fans everywhere. But, one movie stands above the rest.  2008’s The Dark Knight. For those of you who have not seen the movie yet, it is the second installment into the Noland trilogy, which sees an already established Batman dealing with Gotham City’s corruption and criminals. The main criminal being Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning Joker. The thing that makes the Joker so special compared to past iterations is this is a man who was crafted by depression and abuse. All we know about the Joker is the small stories he tells in parts of the movie. This makes the Joker’s actions throughout the movie so unpredictable, as we never truly know what drives him, or what his final goal is, other than to achieve absolute chaos. I could go on and on raving about Joker and how amazingly he was portrayed by Heath Ledger, but the final thing I’ll say is in a movie with such acclaimed actors as Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Gary Oldman, Heath Ledger stole the show. 

If you have never seen The Dark Knight, you might think of it as a children’s superhero movie that your ten-year-olds will enjoy just long enough for you to get a break. That’s not the case. Even if you aren’t into superheroes, this movie excels with its themes. The juxtaposition of light and darkness and how far someone can be pushed before they’ve been pushed too far. Not to mention, in Noland’s Gotham City, we are shown what very well could be a real city. It has some nice affluent areas but is simultaneously overrun by gangsters and corrupt police and politicians. It’s a very gritty and real movie that definitely took inspiration from real situations and cities in America. 

To close, I will leave you with this. The Dark Knight boats an extremely talented cast and one of the most renowned directors in current cinema. The storyline and plot are gripping and while the two and a half-hour run time might scare you, I assure you it’s more than worth it. Do yourself a favor and watch The Dark Knight.