Matt Reeves' The Batman fought colossal headwinds to become an instant classic, which is a major feat considering how crowded the field was. From Adam West to Christian Bale, movie screens have had no shortage of memorable Caped Crusaders. Bringing a new one into the equation felt like overkill, particularly with Ben Affleck's admittedly underrated Dark Knight being part of the Dceu monumental struggles. Another Batman movie on top of that felt like oversaturation, and yet Reeves created a compelling new version of The Dark Knight that felt as fresh as a daisy and as timeless as the classic comics stories that inspired it.

A great deal of that is owed to the totality of Reeves' world, and how every little detail fits his distinctive version of Gotham City. That pays huge dividends with his villain, The Riddler, who requires delicacy to render properly, but who soars under Paul Dano's terrific performance.