The character of Batman has been taken in so many directions; from vigilante to world-saving superhero. For the most part, Batman tends to have darker stories and that is definitely the case with films; especially more modern takes on the character such as Matt Reeves' The Batman.
Though many Batman movies are dark, some go above and beyond to be darker than most. It even gets to the point where Batman films start to feel less like comic book films and more like horror movies. From the many live-action and animated Batman films, which one manages to go the darkest? They can all currently be streamed on HBO Max.
Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)
Ben Affleck's introduction as Batman showcases a version of the character who has lost his way after 20 years of fighting crime. He's no longer a hero with both criminals and civilians terrified of him. Now after the events of Man Of Steel, he is on a dark path to try and murder Superman.
Overall, one of the few R-rated superhero films due to the violence and dark themes at play.
Batman Begins (2005)
Christopher Nolan rebooted Batman in a much darker and more realistic style. As the title suggests, the origin story of Batman, showing the death of the Waynes and Bruce Wayne's transformation into the Caped Crusader.
As a result, Nolan focuses a lot on the tragedy of Batman and how his parents' death haunts him. Gotham City is also at its worst to help solidify why it needs someone like Batman. Add in the evil plot of Scarecrow and Ra's Al Ghul, and Batman Begins brought darkness back to the franchise.
Batman: Under The Red Hood (2010)
First off, Batman: Under The Red Hood opens up with the brutal murder of a teenage boy at the hands of the Joker. That alone earns this movie a slot on this list but Batman's guilt is felt throughout the film, adding a depressing tone that makes the movie feel bleak.
Then there's the titular villain of Red Hood. He does not hold back with his killings and as a result, there is a lot more blood and gore in the film. Plus the rivalry between Red Hood and Batman has a lot of dark twists and turns that make their relationship tragic in nature.
Batman Returns (1992)
Tim Burton was given total reign over this sequel and as a result, he cranked the darkness up to the point that the movie was considered too dark on release. Today, Batman Returns has earned cult status with fans embracing that it is so dark and even a bit twisted at times.
Danny DeVito's Penguin nearly bites off a man's nose, his plot is to drown Gotham's infants, and Batman is a straight-up murderer at times in this one. It completely embraces Tim Burton's macabre style for better or for worse.
Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm (1995)
Though it is based on Mask Of The Phantasm pushed the limits of an animated superhero film. It tackles the idea of Batman struggling with the promise he made to his parents while dealing with a new serial killer in Gotham City.
It may not show the blood but the Phantasm's killings are suggested enough that it doesn't take much imagination to figure them out. Even the typically jovial and clown-like Joker is depicted as much darker with Mark Hamill giving a sinister performance.
Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker (2000)
Acting as the culmination of both Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond, Return Of The Joker creates a bridge between the two shows. Now on its own, the movie is not anything too different from an episode of Batman Beyond but that changes when flashbacks are shown.
These flashbacks, especially in the unrated version, depict Mark Hamill's now-iconic Joker at his most disturbing in the DC Animated Universe. How he tortures and twists Robin into a Joker and how Robin actually murders the Joker has become infamous for basically scarring childhoods.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Instead of a trickster villain, Heath Ledger's Joker is depicted as an anarchist and domestic terrorist who practically brings Gotham to its knees in just a few weeks. He kills cops, takes over the criminal element of Gotham, and personally makes himself into Batman's nemesis.
One of the most iconic scenes features Joker terrorizing a Batman copycat before brutally murdering him on video. It gave semi-found footage vibes that left audiences terrified of this Joker and combined with the origin of Two-Face, The Dark Knight took the dark elements of the first film and amped them.
Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)
Despite its controversial prologue, Batman: The Killing Joke is still a loyal adaptation of the graphic novel. From Joker's tragic origin story to the paralyzation of Barbara Gordon which he uses to help torture Jim Gordon. Everything about this story is akin to a psychological thriller seen in Hannibal Lecter stories.
Batman and Joker are depicted less like the typical superhero and villain and as a result, The Killing Joke becomes more of a character study of the Joker. It leads to the overall film having a creepy vibe with disturbing imagery.
The Batman (2022)
The newest film on this list, Matt Reeves' scary scenes in The Batman.
The movie opens up with Riddler killing someone in a surprisingly graphic fashion and he's putting other victims through demented traps throughout the film. Even Batman himself is depicted as a figure that has criminals scared to walk down alleys.
Batman: Gotham By Gaslight (2018)
This is one of the first DC animated films to fully embrace an R-rating and it shows. With Jack The Ripper being the villain of Batman: Gotham By Gaslight, all of the kills in the film are grisly. Even the ones that are done off-screen match that of the actual Ripper murders.
Victorian Gotham is filled to the brim with lowlifes, scoundrels, and prostitutes that make the city just feel sickly. However, the film goes in its own direction from the graphic novel and some of the twists are akin to something seen in a horror movie. It helps give Gotham By Gaslight an edge not seen in many Batman films while harking back to classic Sherlock Holmes novels.
