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I’m a big fan of the Watchmen comic and really anything Alan Moore created during his prime as a storyteller. The way that it deconstructs the superhero genre is something that was unheard of at the time it was released. Sure, it’s been done to death now, but it completely broke my brain in the best of ways when I first read it as a kid.
When the Watchmen film dropped in 2009, I was also a pretty big fan of that version of it. It didn’t really strike me as an adaptation that failed miserably or anything. However, over the years, my opinion on it has cooled, though it’s still not a bad film by any means. At least not compared to some of director Zack Snyder’s other movies. But I still believe that there are other superhero movies out there that really capture the dark tone Watchmen was going for, without sacrificing intelligence.
Logan
Bittersweet and beautiful
After Deadpool & Wolverine released, I was kind of worried that it would change my perception of the brilliance of Logan. But after revisiting it, I think it retains its brilliance. That’s partly due to how Deadpool & Wolverine handles bringing back the character, but a large part is because of just how emotionally resonant Logan is.
Watching a broken-down Wolverine fight against the tide of a world where mutants have all been wiped out is truly devastating. It’s material that easily could have failed in the wrong creative hands, though, and I still think it’s one of the most maturely dark superhero movies ever made.
Logan
R Action Drama Sci-Fi Superhero Release Date March 3, 2017 Runtime 137 Minutes Director James Mangold Writers James Mangold, Scott Frank, Michael Green
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Hugh Jackman Logan / Wolverine / X-24
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Dafne Keen Laura Kinney / X-23
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Patrick Stewart Charles Xavier / Professor X
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Elizabeth Rodriguez Gabriela
Genres Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Superhero Powered by
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Kick-Ass
Hilariously dark
You might not think of Kick-Ass as a dark superhero movie, given its level of hilarity, but I think it’s more of a dark comedy superhero movie than anything. The action scenes are brutal, well-constructed, and just realistic enough to feel like it could happen in real life. It’s a movie that makes other superhero movies look somewhat tame by comparison.
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There’s also a nice theme of obsession running throughout Kick-Ass that shows the effective pull that power can have. From the eponymous main character (Aaron Johnson) mistakenly thinking he’s invincible, to Damon’s (Nicolas Cage) crusade for revenge, even at the cost of his daughter’s (Chloë Grace Moretz) innocence. It actually dives into some pretty dark territory, while keeping things just light enough to be funny and entertaining. It’s just a shame the same thing can’t be said about its sequel.
Kick-Ass
R Action Comedy Crime Release Date March 22, 2010 Runtime 117 minutes Director Matthew Vaughn Writers Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn, Mark Millar, John Romita Jr.
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Aaron Taylor-Johnson
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Chloe Moretz
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Nicolas Cage
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Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Genres Action, Comedy, Crime Powered by
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Dredd
Not quite a superhero
All right, so Dredd is more like an anti-superhero than anything, but so are most of the characters in Watchmen. Dredd is set in a world where the main character is an elite enforcer known as a Judge, who can dole out punishment for crimes as he sees fit. It is both dystopian and post-apocalyptic, and a truly harrowing fictional world.
Much like the comics, Dredd doesn’t get too caught up in politics, however. Instead, it elects for gruesome action and a sleek pace that doesn’t waste any time. But you can see the dark undercurrents of this society in every shot and every decision that our main character makes. It’s one of those rare comic book movies that I wish had gotten a sequel or two.
Dredd
R Action Science Fiction Release Date September 21, 2012 Runtime 95 minutes Director Pete Travis, Alex Garland Writers Alex Garland
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Karl Urban Judge Dredd
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Olivia Thirlby Cassandra Anderson
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Lena Headey Ma-Ma
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Wood Harris Kay
Genres Action, Science Fiction Powered by
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The Crow
The original, not whatever that remake was
I still believe that the original version of The Crow is one of the finest and most stylish comic book movies ever made. And because of the accidental death of its star, Brandon Lee, there’s an aura of tragedy around the whole thing that transcends even the grim plot. I still think it would have worked wonders regardless, though. Director Alex Proyas captures the dark, seedy underbelly of this fictional version of Detroit in ways that make the city feel like its own character.
Lee is also an incredible leading man here, with a lot of angst and darkly funny one-liners. It’s a simple plot of revenge, but the supernatural elements are sublime, and the style is unmatched. If only the Batman adaptations could capture Gotham like this movie portrays Detroit (give or take The Batman), we’d all be living in a better world.
The Crow
R Fantasy Action Thriller Release Date May 11, 1994 Runtime 102 Minutes Director Alex Proyas Writers David J. Schow, John Shirley
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Brandon Lee Eric Draven / The Crow
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Rochelle Davis Sarah
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Ernie Hudson Albrecht
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Michael Wincott Top Dollar
Genres Fantasy, Action, Thriller Powered by
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The Batman
A Batman adaptation that gets to the core of the character
I’ve enjoyed nearly every adaptation of Batman for one reason or another, but few have truly captured the eras of the character that I enjoy best. That all changed with The Batman, a movie that is less of a conventional superhero movie than it is a crime thriller that just happens to have a masked vigilante in it. This is a movie that understands that Bruce Wayne isn’t secretly Batman, but that Batman is just pretending to be Bruce Wayne. And that is its best quality.
Robert Pattinson brings a level of smoldering rage to his Dark Knight that sets him apart. Plus, we finally get to see the actual detective side here. It is a grounded, realistic superhero movie, with an aesthetic that pulls you into the crime-ridden world of Gotham. And Paul Dano is delightful as the truly unhinged Riddler.
The Batman
PG-13 Crime Action Drama Release Date March 4, 2022 Runtime 176 minutes Director Matt Reeves Writers Matt Reeves, Peter Craig, Bob Kane, Bill Finger
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Robert Pattinson Bruce Wayne / The Batman
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Zoë Kravitz Selina Kyle
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Jeffrey Wright Lt. James Gordon
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Colin Farrell Oz / The Penguin
Genres Crime, Action, Drama Powered by
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Chronicle
A superhero film with a gimmick
I was very much into the found-footage fad that took over Hollywood for a while, and I think Chronicle is one of the best examples of how you use that effectively. Blending it with the superhero genre could have resulted in Chronicle doing nothing else to advance beyond conventional clichés, but it doesn’t do that. Instead, we get a smart, realistic look at what would happen if teenagers suddenly got powers, and how that would change their lives forever.
But it doesn’t just do this on a surface level. Nobody here is evil for the sake of it. One of the main characters is pushed into his evil path, and the movie is all the more tragic because of it. It’s a nuanced approach that other superhero films have tried to take, but few have actually pulled off.
Chronicle
PG-13 Science Fiction Drama Thriller Release Date February 3, 2012 Runtime 84 minutes Director Josh Trank Writers Max Landis, Josh Trank
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Dane DeHaan Andrew Detmer
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Alex Russell Matt Garetty
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Michael B. Jordan Steve Montgomery
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Michael Kelly Richard Detmer
Genres Science Fiction, Drama, Thriller Powered by
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Superhero movies can be dark without sacrificing their heart
I think one of the big reasons my opinion on Watchmen has shifted since its release is that it lacks the emotional aspect of the comics. It understands the events of its source material without ever actually comprehending why they happen. These movies, on the other hand, never fall into that trap. They are dark and gritty, yes, but there’s a human element to them that makes them superior.
But if you’re tired of superhero fare in general, maybe you should check out these slow-burn thriller shows that will keep you engaged for weeks.
