A Glean movie guide
Beyond the Cape: Gritty Crime & Chaos
Serious stakes. No easy answers.
Grounded thrillers and dark epics that mirror the intensity of Gotham’s finest hour.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Batman
A rain-soaked detective noir that captures the same brooding atmosphere and tactical grit as the Nolan trilogy.
In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.
- 02
Heat
The definitive urban crime saga that served as a primary visual and thematic blueprint for the opening of The Dark Knight.
Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence.
- 03
Joker
A haunting character study that explores the psychological decay and societal chaos behind Batman’s greatest foe.
During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.
- 04
Se7en
A grim, meticulous thriller featuring a brilliant antagonist who uses the city itself as a canvas for his crimes.
Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. Somerset researches each sin in an effort to get inside the killer's mind, while his novice partner, Mills, scoffs at his efforts to unravel the case.
- 05
Logan
A raw and somber deconstruction of a hero that trades spectacle for emotional weight and permanent consequences.
In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hideout on the Mexican border. But Logan's attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are upended when a young mutant arrives, pursued by dark forces.
- 06
Sicario
A masterclass in sustained tension that explores the blurred moral lines of a high-stakes war on crime.
An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.
- 07
The Departed
An intense game of cat-and-mouse where the line between law and lawlessness is dangerously thin.
To take down South Boston's Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the underworld, not realizing the syndicate has done likewise. While an undercover cop curries favor with the mob kingpin, a career criminal rises through the police ranks. But both sides soon discover there's a mole among them.
- 08
No Country for Old Men
A tense, philosophical pursuit driven by an implacable force of nature who thrives on pure chaos.
Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon dead bodies, $2 million and a hoard of heroin in a Texas desert, but methodical killer Anton Chigurh comes looking for it, with local sheriff Ed Tom Bell hot on his trail. The roles of prey and predator blur as the violent pursuit of money and justice collide.
- 09
Skyfall
A grounded, personal take on a legendary icon that pits the hero against a vengeful and calculating mastermind.
When Bond's latest assignment goes gravely wrong, agents around the world are exposed and MI6 headquarters is attacked. While M faces challenges to her authority and position from Gareth Mallory, the new Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, it's up to Bond, aided only by field agent Eve, to locate the mastermind behind the attack.
- 10
Prisoners
A harrowing look at the lengths a desperate man will go to for justice when the system fails.
Keller Dover is facing every parent’s worst nightmare. His six-year-old daughter, Anna, is missing, together with her young friend, Joy, and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had earlier been parked on their street.