8. The Dark Knight Rises
In its strong cast and (mostly) focused plot, The Dark Knight Rises shares merits with the rest of Christopher Nolan’s revered Dark Knight trilogy. Christian Bale is as tortured as ever, and Tom Hardy, hissing through the claws of his facemask, continues to be an imposing and calculated villain. The 2012 movie is a solid end to Nolan’s series, and it excels in its anxiety-inducing scenes of Bane and other villains forcing their way into political power. But it fumbles near the finish line, where it tries to introduce an underwhelming plot twist. It doesn’t feel necessary — The Dark Knight Rises is at its best when it’s being intuitive.
