By Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is poised to exit Netflix in the US on May 31 – so if you haven’t experienced what are widely regarded as three of the most exceptional superhero films ever made, now is the moment to amend that error.
Nolan’s trilogy commenced in 2005 with Batman Begins, the inaugural movie showcasing Christian Bale as Batman/Bruce Wayne. Although expectations at the box office were relatively modest for the film (arriving after the 1997 critically panned Batman & Robin), it emerged a financial triumph and demonstrated that viewers were ready for a rejuvenated and more sophisticated interpretation of the Caped Crusader.
The sequel The Dark Knight debuted in 2008, introducing Heath Ledger’s chilling Joker to audiences. The film became the year’s highest-grossing release, amassing nearly $1 billion during its theatrical run, and earned nearly double that of the year’s other major superhero film: Iron Man, the initial entry of the MCU. To this day, it retains the title of the top-rated Batman film on Rotten Tomatoes, boasting an impressive 94% rating.
A pall was cast over the movie following the unfortunate demise of Ledger, who passed away from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in January 2008. He was posthumously awarded the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in the 2009 Academy Awards.
Nolan subsequently followed The Dark Knight with the sci-fi thriller Inception in 2010, arguably the film that solidified his status as the master of cerebral blockbusters, yet both he and Bale would return to portray Batman one last time.
The Dark Knight Rises was released two years later, where Batman teams up with Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman to confront the terrorist Bane (Tom Hardy) and the enigmatic Miranda Tate played by Marion Cotillard.
While the film didn’t quite receive the acclaim of its predecessor, it comfortably surpassed the $1 billion box office milestone, surpassed only that year by James Bond’s Skyfall and the first chapter of The Hunger Games.
The Dark Knight trilogy established a new standard for superhero films and elevated both Bale and Nolan to iconic status. If you’re a Netflix member and have been planning to view or revisit them, now is the moment to start streaming…
Check out our movie release dates guide for a summary of all the other streaming and theater releases occurring this year, or explore our guides to the top Netflix films and the top Netflix series.