8. Batman Returns, 1992

Batman Returns starts off with a grimness not found as much in other Batman films. After discovering their child has physical differences, a snooty rich couple dumps his cradle in a freezing river—on Christmas, no less! Backed by the eerie choir of Danny Elfman’s score, it travels down to the grimy sewers where penguins wander.The film is defined by this type of cruelty, particularly in Danny DeVito’s Penguin. He is a loud, brash character with a grotesque appearance—lumpy and misshapen with a beak-like nose. His short and round features, waddling walk, and volatile outbursts make him seem more animal-like than human.

DeVito’s campy performance is the true highlight of Batman Returns, along with Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman, of course. Her performance is delightfully unhinged and exudes eroticism, particularly in her BDSM-esque leather suit and enjoyment of tying people up. The movie has cartoony elements, like the Penguin driving a giant duck car, but there’s also intense violence where he bites off a man’s nose and blood oozes in between his teeth; another man is electrocuted, his white eyes popping out of his burnt, crispy flesh.

Batman Returns is far more interesting and visually dynamic than the first because it leans into a certain kind of loony ugliness that only Tim Burton could create.