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The Dark Knight poster

The Dark Knight

Movie 2008 152 min Action, Thriller Last reviewed 12 Sep 2026
Official Rating M ClearAge 15+ Quality ★★★☆☆

What we flagged

View all categories

Scores are 0–5: 0 means none.

Violence
Strong
Sex
Mild
Frightening
Strong
Language
Moderate

Our take

This is a grim live-action crime story, not a kids Batman cartoon. The Joker stages cruel killings, bank robberies, and bombs. A child is threatened with a gun. You will hear the s-word, hell, damn, and son of a b-word. Watch with a parent from 15. Many younger teens will find the cruelty hard

Uplifting themes

Ordinary people are asked to choose mercy when fear says hit back Some adults try to do the right thing at a cost. Others fold

Story (may spoil tone)

Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker.

What we flagged

Scores are 0–5: 0 means none.

View all categories

Violence
Strong
Sex
Mild
Frightening
Strong
Language
Moderate

Details

Violence Strong Shootings, bombs, and cruel killings run through a long crime story. So…

Shootings, bombs, and cruel killings run through a long crime story. Some beats are hard to sit with

Language Moderate You will hear the s-word, hell, damn, and son of a b-word. Some strong…

You will hear the s-word, hell, damn, and son of a b-word. Some strong language, not a barrage

Sex / nudity Mild A couple kiss. Clothes stay on

A couple kiss. Clothes stay on

Frightening Strong The villain enjoys scaring a whole city. Abductions, bombs, and a cruel…

The villain enjoys scaring a whole city. Abductions, bombs, and a cruel mood last a long time

Child peril / abuse Moderate A child is held at gunpoint late in the film. It is short and very tense

A child is held at gunpoint late in the film. It is short and very tense

Gore / death / weapons Moderate Guns, bombs, wounds, and a badly burned face. People die. It is not a t…

Guns, bombs, wounds, and a badly burned face. People die. It is not a torture reel

Dangerous behaviour Mild Copycat vigilantes with guns are part of the story. Do not treat that a…

Copycat vigilantes with guns are part of the story. Do not treat that as a game

Mental health Mild Fear and loss push people toward breaking. The villain plays with that…

Fear and loss push people toward breaking. The villain plays with that on purpose

Grief / bereavement Moderate Someone close is killed. The people left behind are raw

Someone close is killed. The people left behind are raw

Talk after watching

  • The villain wants people to turn on each other. What helps you stay decent under fear?
  • Heroes here pay a cost. Is winning still winning if you lose people you love?