A Glean movie guide
Beyond the Mask: Gritty Crime & Chaos
Morality in the shadows.
Grounded thrillers and complex anti-heroes for fans of Gotham's darkest hour.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Batman
A rain-soaked detective noir that strips the superhero genre down to its grounded, gritty roots.
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 heist thriller that directly inspired the tactical realism of Nolan’s Gotham.
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 psychological character study of a city’s descent into madness and the rise of a chaotic icon.
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 bleak, atmospheric hunt for a mastermind who uses a decaying city as a canvas for his twisted philosophy.
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
Prisoners
A tense exploration of vigilante justice and the blurred moral lines a father crosses to find his daughter.
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.
- 06
Sicario
A cold, tactical look at the brutal realities of law enforcement and the cost of operating in the gray.
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
Logan
A visceral, R-rated deconstruction of a hero that trades spectacle for raw, emotional stakes.
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.
- 08
No Country for Old Men
Features a terrifying, philosophical antagonist who represents the same unstoppable chaos as the Joker.
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
The Departed
A high-stakes game of cat and mouse set in a corrupt urban landscape where identity is a dangerous weapon.
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.
- 10
Skyfall
A sophisticated action thriller featuring a theatrical villain and a personal vendetta against a hero's legacy.
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.