The Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan's grounded take on Batman resulted in a cult trilogy, the second part of which became the best. "The Dark Knight" states that there are no right answers, and the entire film is built on dilemmas where characters don't know how to act correctly, and any choice they make leads to losses.
The antagonist, the Joker, brilliantly played by Heath Ledger, stands out. This role became his last completed work in cinema. He exudes a sinister charisma that captures the viewer's full attention. The villain asks: can fear, hatred, and despair drive a person insane? Like Lucifer, fallen from heaven, one of the characters goes from light to darkness – and this transformation is initiated by the Joker.
Thus, the comic book story echoes biblical archetypes, making one ponder the cruelty of existence. The film makes it clear that sometimes being a hero means making decisions for which you won't be praised, and bearing that burden alone. Without hope of recognition, like Batman.
Wonder Man
The Marvel Cinematic Universe series about Simon Williams – an actor trying to get the role of his favorite superhero Wonder Man in a new film. But the protagonist has superpowers, which are forbidden in the acting world, and Williams struggles with panic attacks that make him lose control over them. He is helped by experienced actor Trevor Slattery, known from "Iron Man 3" and "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." But Simon is being watched by the Department of Damage Control, eager to put the main character behind bars.
This is a story about self-discovery, relationships with friends, and the masks we wear, hiding our true selves in public. There's no action here: for all eight episodes, Williams tries to fulfill his dream of becoming a great actor, and Trevor faces a difficult moral choice that threatens their friendship. All of this weaves into a very vital and human story, where superpowers are nothing more than a pretext for plot development.
After the first season, the series was canceled, but it is self-contained and perfect for a one-time viewing. And the semi-open ending will only enhance the experience.
Logan
The final part of the Wolverine trilogy, telling the story of an aging hero. His abilities are failing, and his body is aging, even despite his famous healing factor. In this world, Logan meets a girl named Laura, who possesses the exact same powers. He must escort her to a place called "Eden," where surviving mutants are supposedly hiding. And traveling with them is Charles Xavier, whose illness leads to telepathic outbursts that threaten those around him.
Along the way, the heroes go through various difficulties, gradually growing closer. Laura brings joy back to the desperate old man's life, albeit briefly. And in the end, the film pays tribute to this version of the superhero, passing the baton to other characters.
This dark neo-western shows the decline of the old mutant era, which is felt from the very first minutes. And in such circumstances, the main character throughout the film tries not so much to survive as to die with dignity.
Thunderbolts*
A crossover that brought together the best of the worst: Black Widow Yelena Belova, Winter Soldier, U.S. Agent, Red Guardian, Ghost, and a strange guy named Bob. Each of them has a dark past and a heap of psychological problems preventing them from finding peace.
All of them were gathered by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine – the head of the CIA, playing a game against the US government, which is trying to bring her to justice. She wanted to get rid of the main characters, but the plan backfired. Now the newly formed team must survive, deal with Valentina, and decide how to live on. And a secret experiment gone out of control exacerbates everything.
Despite the film being made in the best Marvel traditions, it speaks of entirely different things. Behind the action and humor, there are questions of loneliness, depression, and self-struggle. And even though the film shows us the strongest character in the entire MCU, he seems closer to the viewer than many other "correct" and ideal characters.
The Boys
The adaptation of the comic book series of the same name turns the genre upside down, because the superheroes here are not selfless protectors, but a project of a huge corporation created to make money on toys, movies, advertising, and even fake rescue stories. The people in hero costumes here are narcissistic, insecure, greedy, and cruel. Especially Homelander – the strongest of the "superheroes," suffering from a whole complex of severe disorders.
And opposing the "superheroes" are ordinary people who have become victims of this ostentatious world. Even if they possess spy skills, it doesn't make them equal to those whom bullets don't affect. Therefore, the team with the call sign "The Boys" has to improvise and pull strings that no one else would dare to pull.
The project was loved by viewers for its merciless satire on superheroics. It's a dirty project, sometimes fun to watch, sometimes disgusting. But it doesn't shy away from this and turns it into its calling card.
Deadpool
The first film in the trilogy about the talkative mercenary is very simple. The plot tells the story of mercenary Wade Wilson, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer and decided to undergo experimental treatment. The procedure solved the problem, though not as he expected: the hero developed a healing factor that prevented cancer from forming and made the hero almost immortal. But there was a nuance – his appearance suffered: the once handsome guy became disfigured. Therefore, Wade cannot return to Vanessa, his beloved, fearing that she will reject him, and wants revenge on Ajax, because he supposedly can restore his former appearance.
The film captivates with its style, characteristic of the character: black humor, regular breaking of the fourth wall, and an 18+ rating that allows the creators to hold nothing back. As well as a touching, albeit absurd, love line.
This is a chamber film, unfolding in several small locations with a small number of characters. The scale of future parts is nowhere near here, but at the same time, the picture is easy to watch, as there is nothing superfluous in it.
Watchmen
"Watchmen" is a symbiosis of Alan Moore's titanic story and Zack Snyder's incredibly stylish direction. The film immerses us in a world full of heroes, but none of them have superpowers – they are just people in costumes who stand guard. The only exception is Doctor Manhattan, whose abilities know no bounds.
The story of "Watchmen" makes the viewer understand that films about people in tights are not just pompous battles of good versus evil, but a gray morality where a black-and-white view of the world has no place. And this picture is defined by Zack Snyder's style: battles with slow-motion effects and unusual camera angles create a dark, oppressive atmosphere.
The film can be called a superhero neo-noir with its dark tones and hopelessness. It asks the viewer: is it worth sacrificing millions to save billions? And then it harshly and uncompromisingly answers this question in a way we are not used to. The heroes can only accept it or die, because the deed is already done.
Joker
Todd Phillips' first part of the Joker duology caused a sensation in 2019. The film tells the story of Arthur Fleck, a loser who lives with his mother and dreams of a career as a stand-up comedian, working as a clown for a small agency. Arthur suffers from a neurological disorder that makes him laugh in tense situations, making his life even sadder.
Gradually, this man begins to lose his mind, re-evaluating his own life. He reveals his inner self to the world, and the result is deplorable: many deaths, cruelty, and madness.
The plot unfolds against the backdrop of a gloomy Gotham in the 1980s, where unemployment, poverty, and chaos reign, and public services are on strike. The oppressive atmosphere of the city layers on what is happening inside Arthur, exacerbating his condition. And at the end, the narrative reaches its climax, completely changing the hero and the view of the city.
Loki
A Marvel Studios series that reveals one of the most ambiguous characters in the cinematic universe – an alternate version of Loki who escaped during the events of "Avengers: Endgame." But he couldn't get far – Loki was quickly tracked down by TVA agents, who deal with clearing unnecessary timelines. They captured the god of mischief and forced him to work for them, but it wasn't that simple.
The project doesn't reinvent the character – Loki here is the same as he was in the cinematic universe before. But the story reveals him anew, making the character not just Thor's brother and former antagonist, but a separate and full-fledged hero. The protagonist tries to understand if he is worthy of existence and who he really is.
"Loki" is a story of redemption and self-discovery that ends in self-sacrifice. The project is very stylish and emotional: every character is memorable.
Legion
A superhero psychological thriller with surreal elements that breaks conventional genre perceptions. The main character, David, has lived with a diagnosis of "paranoid schizophrenia" since childhood, often frequenting psychiatric clinics. However, meeting a girl named Syd makes David doubt: perhaps things are not so simple.
David turned out to be the son of Charles Xavier, one of the strongest telepaths in the world. And the voices in his head are by no means a sign of illness, but a demon feeding on his incredible power and seeking revenge on his father.
The series stands out for its style: it is filmed in such a way that the viewer feels like they are in David's shoes. Reality here is constantly distorted: scenes jump in time, characters swap places, and what is happening more resembles a surreal dream with a fever of forty degrees. This is not a story about fighting villains, but a deep exploration of trauma, identity, memory, and control.
Spawn (1997)
A dark, daring, and very controversial comic book movie that, despite all its flaws, left a significant mark on the genre's history. Elite government agent Al Simmons, after death, ends up in hell. There, he makes a deal with a demon to see his fiancée Wanda. However, she married his best friend, and Al turned into a terrifying spawn of Hell – Spawn. And he needs to retain the remnants of his humanity, confront his demonic mentor Clown, and find a way to break the contract.
This film is a perfect capsule snapshot of its era. It makes no attempt to be a "serious film" or a "blockbuster for everyone." It is maximally dark, angular, gritty, and imbued with industrial aesthetics. Yes, the graphics are outdated, but the artistic design of Hell, Spawn's costume, his transformations, and thought-forms – all of this is done with soul. After all, the artists and costumers tried to surprise the viewer.
Despite its flaws, the film is very organic. It's not a soulless blockbuster, but an ambitious project that stumbled over the technical limitations of its time. Such films are loved not "despite," but "because of." They are cozy, like an old VHS tape that is pleasant to pull out and remember how risky comic book movies were before Marvel arrived.
Spider-Noir
The streaming service Amazon decided to present the viewer with a look at an alternate version of Spider-Man. The events of the series unfold in New York in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. The main character is private detective Ben Reilly, who scrapes by with odd jobs, and in the past was a famous superhero Spider. But due to the tragic loss of his beloved, he hung up his mask.
The series stands out for its style – the project is filmed as it would have been back then. The project is full of genre clichés and tropes: plot twists, daring dialogues, an emphasis on drinking and smoking, and so on. If you watch the series in black and white, you can easily immerse yourself in that era.
The first viewing in black and white allows you to feel the hero's despair. And if you rewatch the series a second time – in color, with its rich blue and orange hues – you can look at the story from a different, more positive angle. This creates a therapeutic effect, reopening the story: you notice details that previously escaped you, and together with the hero, you come to acceptance.