A Glean movie guide
Gritty Crime & Moral Chaos
Beyond the mask.
Grounded thrillers and dark superhero tales that echo the intensity of Gotham’s finest hour.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Batman
A detective-focused take on the caped crusader that leans into urban corruption and psychological warfare.
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
A masterclass in urban crime that directly inspired the high-stakes heist aesthetic of Christopher Nolan’s work.
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
Logan
A brutal and deeply personal character study that strips away superhero tropes for a grounded, emotional journey.
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.
- 04
Joker
A haunting origin story that explores societal decay and the psychological breakdown of a legendary antagonist.
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.
- 05
Se7en
A dark, atmospheric procedural where a philosophical killer tests the moral limits of the detectives on his trail.
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.
- 06
Sicario
A tense and tactical thriller that navigates the morally gray boundaries of modern law enforcement.
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
Prisoners
An intense exploration of vigilante justice and the lengths a father will go to when the law fails him.
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.
- 08
The Departed
A high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse where the line between cop and criminal becomes dangerously blurred.
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.
- 09
No Country for Old Men
A relentless pursuit driven by a chaotic, unstoppable force of nature that mirrors the Joker’s nihilism.
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.
- 10
Watchmen
A deconstructive look at masked vigilantes set against a backdrop of political conspiracy and moral decay.
In a gritty and alternate 1985, the glory days of costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close by a government crackdown. But after one of the masked veterans is brutally murdered, an investigation into the killer is initiated. The reunited heroes set out to prevent their own destruction, but in doing so they uncover a sinister plot that puts all of humanity in grave danger.