Every Christopher Nolan Movie, Ranked

It's wonderful to return to Nolan's first Caped Crusader flick, Batman Begins, and recall how often it skates on the edge of horror. With Scarecrow (Nolan regular Cillian Murphy) as a major foil, Bruce Wayne's first crusade as Gotham's protector is often deeply unsettling, making perfect use of Batman's tragic origin story. 

Batman Begins goes through all the motions - Wayne witnesses the death of his parents, becomes a recluse, trains his mind and body to become a weapon primed to save his city from the crime that destroyed his family, lures his caring butler Alfred into his crusade - but Nolan injects it all with such terror and genuine heartbreak that itcan't help but feel completely fresh.

A gritty and grimy view of Gotham City that brings Batman face-to-face with the darkness within himself as well as the city, Nolan's Dark Knight opener is a near-flawless thriller, despite its slightly underwhelming final act set pieces.

Oh, and it should come as no surprise that, 20-plus years later, Christian Bale's tortured performance remains a revelation.