--- title: "The Dark Knight: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-dark-knight/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-dark-knight" critics_score: 90 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Dark Knight (2008): what the critics said Critics' score 90 from 11 reviews: 11 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The consensus is strongly positive, with praise clustering around Heath Ledger’s Joker, Christopher Nolan’s direction and the film’s moral complexity. Most critics see a substantial crime thriller that takes its characters and their choices seriously. Ledger is the clearest point of agreement: the reviews repeatedly describe a frightening, psychologically complex performance that dominates the film. The action also earns praise for its force and scale. The differences concern how well the ideas survive the spectacle. Time Out finds the action threatens to drown them out, while The Hollywood Reporter praises the clarity of the ideas and characters. The Guardian admires the storytelling but questions the heavy moral weight placed on a blockbuster. Reservations elsewhere concern pacing, gadgetry and occasional lulls. The spread runs from enthusiastic approval to qualified admiration rather than outright dissent; even the more cautious reviews remain persuaded by Ledger. ## Radio Times — Jeremy Aspinall Rating 5/5. Calls it an awesome, landmark comic-book adaptation with ambition; praises Ledger's iconic Joker and the action sequences. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-l4qm4i/the-dark-knight/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 4/4. 16 July 2008. The film is a haunted tragedy that redefines the comic-book movie with complex moral dilemmas and characters audiences care about. It singles out Heath Ledger's psychologically complex, revenge-driven Joker for particular praise. [Read the review](https://rogerebert.com/reviews/the-dark-knight-2008) ## Slant Magazine Rating 4/4. 17 July 2008. The critic hails the film as very close to a pop masterpiece and a noir-ish DC Comics action-adventure reconfigured as a discerning, ambiguous rumination on terrorism-besieged times. It singles out Heath Ledger's transfixing, indelible portrait of the Joker for praise. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-dark-knight/) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 18 July 2008. Nolan's film goes darker and deeper than prior comic-book movies by embracing ambivalence that might be mistaken for pessimism. It singles out Heath Ledger's visceral, alive Joker performance as a standout that pulls viewers in. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/movies/18knig.html) ## Variety — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 6 July 2008. This is an ambitious, full-bodied crime epic of gratifying scope and moral complexity, seriously brainy pop entertainment. It singles out Heath Ledger's indelible, frightening immersion as the maniacally murderous Joker. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/the-dark-knight-4-1200508584/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 17 July 2008. The sequel is the most hopeless, despairing comic-book movie in memory, meditating on darker themes with implications for the present. It singles out Heath Ledger's transfixing, bone-chilling performance as the nihilistic Joker. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/la-et-mn-dark-knight-review-20080717-story.html) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 9 July 2008. Praises the film's moral complexity, action, and Ledger's performance; notes it's intellectually engaging for a comic-book movie. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-dark-knight/4039761.article) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 July 2008. The critic praises Nolan's sophisticated storytelling and the film's technical brilliance but notes it imposes heavy moral weight on a blockbuster. The Joker dominates as a compelling force of chaos and evil. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/jul/27/2) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 4/5. 22 July 2008. The critic finds it a frenetic sequel with great action but ideas drowned by spectacle; praises Ledger's Joker especially. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-dark-knight) ## Empire — Mark Dinning The review hails the film as spectacular, visionary blockbuster entertainment that lives up to its hype and Ledger's monumental performance. It singles out the anarchic, towering Joker as a force of nature that elevates the entire picture while noting minor lulls in the second act. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/dark-knight-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Kirk Honeycutt 18 July 2008. The critic calls the film pure adrenaline and praises Nolan for building it around ideas and characters that ring out with startling clarity in the context of a comic book movie. Heath Ledger's Joker is highlighted as a maniacally clever and criminally amoral force. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/film-review-dark-knight-125033/) ## The Independent 21 July 2008. The critic finds the film timely and resonant with contemporary anxieties, praising its blend of hardboiled naturalism and blockbuster spectacle. Ledger's flamboyant yet melancholy Joker performance and Bale's intense Batman are singled out for praise amid some reservations about gadgetry and pacing. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-dark-knight-odeon-leicester-square-london-873748.html) ## Collider — Steven Weintraub Rating A+. 9 December 2008. Nolan has avoided the sophomore jinx with this sequel and delivered a strong follow-up to Batman Begins. The film succeeds as both a crime thriller and a Batman movie. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-dark-knight-two-disc-special-collectors-edition-dvd-review/) ## Den of Geek — Ron Hogan Rating 5/5. 19 July 2008. The critic says the film exceeds all hype and is probably the best of the year, possibly the best comic book movie ever made. He singles out the strong direction, crisp pacing, layered script, and especially Heath Ledger's nuanced, dominating performance as the Joker. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-dark-knight-review-3/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-dark-knight.md