6. The Testament Of Dr. Mabuse
There's an unfortunate tendency for modern audiences to write off old black and white movies as out of date and not worth the time, which is a crying shame as many of the old classics still hold their own against - and are often superior to - contemporary movies. One such gem is Fritz Lang's The Testament Of Dr. Mabuse. Mabuse begins with the titular doctor in a lunatic asylum furiously plotting his crimes, leading Inspector Lohmann to try and ingratiate himself with the criminal fraternity in order to stay one step ahead of the villain. At the time of its release it was slammed by none other than Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels as "dull" and coarse", which is perhaps as good a reason as any to check it out. Nolan's take on The Testament Of Dr. Mabuse is considerably more favourable - he describes the film as, "Lang at his most wicked and entertaining. Essential research for anyone attempting to write a supervillain." If the Dark Knight trilogy proved anything, it's that Nolan knows a thing or two about supervillains.