The best DC movies make an entire world in themselves, where every superhero movie seems to be better than the other. And why wouldn’t it be? The films successfully show a glimpse of a future world and touch upon subjects that astonish viewers. For instance, DC Comics presented the concept of the multiverse in its publications which Marvel later portrayed on the big screens.
The increasing global popularity of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) — a series of movies and shows based on DC Comics produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures — has gifted fans with cinematic marvels that have become cult classics. Thus, watching the best DC movies with the highest IMDb ratings can be a good way to enjoy the films with friends and family.
About DC and its Extended Universe
While the origins of the term DC Extended Universe (DCEU) remain a bit clouded, Man of Steel (2013) is widely regarded as the first film to begin this popular media franchise. Hence, no film prior to this is considered a part of the franchise, although efforts are being made to incorporate older DC movies in its continuity.
Taking the superhero genre a step ahead, DC saw the collaboration of revered filmmakers like Christopher Nolan, Tim Burton and Zack Snyder, which led to some of the most outstanding characters. Interestingly, Joker (2019) and The Batman (2022) are not a part of DCEU. None of the animated series and shows (except Peacemaker of 2022) are part of DCEU, either.
With Warner Bros as the main production house, iconic comic heroes like Batman/Bruce Wayne, Superman, Green Lantern, Ra’s al Ghul, Wonder Woman and Black Adam came alive on the screen and paved the way for one of the world’s biggest live-action movies franchises.
Today, renowned actors like Keanu Reeves, Ryan Reynolds, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot are part of the DC movie orbit. From The Dark Knight trilogy to Zack Snyder’s Justice League and The Suicide Squad, some of the highest-rated DC movies on IMDb are not just entertaining but are known for their storytelling as well.
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Best DC movies ranked from lowest to highest, as per IMDb ratings
Jump To / Table of Contents
- Batman Returns (1992)
- Man of Steel (2013)
- The Suicide Squad (2021)
- Superman: The Movie (1978)
- Wonder Woman (2017)
- Batman (1989)
- Superman II: Richard Donner Cut (1980)
- Watchmen (2009)
- The Batman (2022)
- Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
- V For Vendetta (2005)
- Batman Begins (2005)
- Joker (2019)
- The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
- The Dark Knight (2008)
IMDb rating: 7.1
Directed by: Tim Burton
Cast: Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken
Synopsis: The evil Penguin (DeVito) calls the sewers of Gotham City his home, and he is determined to defeat Batman. To put his plan into action, he teams up with the cunning businessman Max Shreck (Walken). However, when Max’s assistant Selina Kyle (Pfeiffer) finds out, he tries to kill her. She, however, becomes the Catwoman and joins Max and Penguin. The trio conspire to kill Batman, but things seem to take a different turn.
Image credit: Batman Returns/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 7.1
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Cast: Henry Cavil, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon
Synopsis: After landing on Earth from his native planet, an infant Kal-El is raised by a farmer couple who names him Clark Kent. Over the years, a grown-up Clark (Cavill) realises his superpowers and learns about his past. Although he vows to keep his power a secret, when a deadly threat loom over humanity, Superman must act.
Image credit: Man of Steel/ Photo by Clay Enos – © 2013 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Legendary Pictures Funding, LLC / IMDb
IMDb rating: 7.2
Directed by: James Gunn
Cast: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Viola Davis
Synopsis: In this remake of the 2016 Suicide Squad, Gunn takes viewers inside the hellish prison of Belle Reve, which holds supervillains in prisons. In a bid to escape, they join forces with Task Force X leader Amanda Waller (Davis). The group of convicts, including Harley Quinn (Robbie), Bloodsport (Elba), Peacemaker (Cena), King Shark (voice by Sylvester Stallone) and Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), are sent off to the remote South American island of Corto Maltese, which is infested with enemies, to find The Thinker (Peter Capaldi) and his laboratory.
Image credit: The Suicide Squad/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 7.4
Directed by: Richard Donner
Cast: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando, Glenn Ford, Phyllis Thaxter
Synopsis: Scientist Jor-El (Brando) sent off his infant son Kal-El on a spaceship to Earth just before their native planet Krypton exploded. Back on Earth, the baby, who is named Clark Kent, is raised by farmer couple Jonathan (Ford) and Martha Kent (Thaxter). Clark (Reeve) grows up to be a journalist in Metropolis who harbours love for his colleague Lois Lane (Kidder). However, he realises his powers as Superman and fights the evil Lex Luthor (Hackman) to save the day.
Awards won: 1979 Oscar (Special Achievement Award) for Visual Effects. Reeve won Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles at the 1979 BAFTA Awards.
Image credit: Superman/ © 1978 – Warner Bros. All rights reserved./ IMDb
IMDb rating: 7.4
Directed by: Petty Jenkins
Cast: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright
Synopsis: The film tells the origin story of Diana (Gadot), a warrior princess of the Amazons who is raised on an island paradise. One day, she comes across American pilot Steve Trevor (Pine) who tells her about the war raging in the outside world. Determined to put an end to all atrocities, she leaves her home for the first time and fights along with men. Diana realises her true powers to become Wonder Woman.
About the film: One of the best DC movies, Wonder Woman is the first female-led superhero film to be helmed by a woman.
Awards won: Best Action Movie at the 2018 Critics Choice Awards
Image credit: Wonder Woman/ Photo by Clay Enos – © 2015 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Ratpac-Dune Entertainment LLC/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 7.5
Directed by: Tim Burton
Cast: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger
Synopsis: Bruce Wayne (Keaton) dons the black suit of Batman to protect the law and order of Gotham City. The caped crusader uses his impeccable fighting skills to ward off criminals. However, when a clown-faced villain, named the Joker (Nicholson), takes charge of the city’s underworld, Batman has to face him as well as safeguard his identity and his lady love Vicki Vale (Basinger).
About the film: Much before Nolan, this film became a super success and is one of the best DC movies. The dark and morbid setting paved the way for The Dark Knight trilogy, which remains a cult classic.
Awards won: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration at the 1990 Oscars by Anton Furst and Peter Young.
Image credit: Batman / © 1989 Warner Bros./ IMDb
IMDb rating: 7.6
Directed by: Richard Donner, Richard Lester
Cast: Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando, Terence Stamp, Sarah Douglas, Jack O’Halloran
Synopsis: On Earth, Kal-El is a journalist named Clark Kent (Reeve) who also dons the suit of Superman. Before sending his son on a spaceship to this planet, Kal-El’s father Jor-El (Brando) had sent General Zodd (Stamp) and two other criminals to an outer-worldly prison. And, now when Superman fights off Lex Luthor (Hackman), he hurls a nuclear bomb away from Earth. Although the explosion doesn’t hurt anyone, its repercussions release General Zodd and his associates Ursa (Douglas) and Non (O’Halloran). How he balances his love life and fends off his foes makes this a classic DC movie.
About the film: Initially, Superman II was planned to be filmed alongside the first film of 1978. But Donner gave up due to some legal issues, and Lester took up the reins.
Image credit: Superman II / © 1981 – Warner Bros. All rights reserved./ IMDb
IMDb rating: 7.6
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Cast: Jackie Earle Haley, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Goode, Robert Wisden
Synopsis: The film opens in 1985 America set in a different universe where masked superheroes roam freely among other people and had helped President Richard Nixon (Wisden) win the Vietnam War. However, after the President ordered a ban on masks, the Watchmen were forced to retire and take up human disguises. When one of them — Rorschach — finds out about the death of one of his former aides, he vows to obliterate all superheroes. Rorschach reunites with his comrades and eventually gets to know about the looming dangers.
About the film: One of the highest-rated DC movies on IMDb, Watchmen is adapted from Alan Moore’s comic book of the same name.
Image credit: Watchmen/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 7.8
Directed by: Matt Reeves
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright, Paul Dano
Synopsis: Gotham City faces the wrath of a psychotic killer named The Riddler (Dano) and Bruce Wayne (Pattinson) must come out of the darkness as Batman. The city’s eminent political figures fall, as the killer is determined to expose the corrupt government. Batman has to forge new allies as well as reunite with older comrades to stop the menace and bring The Riddler to justice.
Image credit: The Batman/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 8
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Cast: Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ciarán Hinds
Synopsis: Bruce Wayne (Affleck) is resolute to ensure that Superman’s (Cavill) ultimate sacrifice was not futile; he joins forces with Diana Princess (Gadot), or Wonder Woman, and embarks on a mission to form a union of superheroes to save the world from destructions. The task ends up being more difficult than perceived, and all heroes must confront their nemeses. Will the now-united pact of Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman (Momoa), Cyborg (Fisher) and The Flash (Miller) be able to shield the world from the miscreants of Steppenwolf (Hinds)?
About the film: Many viewers feel that Zack Snyder’s Justice League restored the faith of the fans after the filmmaker exited from the 2017 Justice League and Joss Whedon added his take to the DC movie.
Image credit: Zack Snyder’s Justice League/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 8.2
Directed by: James McTeigue
Cast: Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, Rupert Graves, Stephen Rea
Synopsis: In a post-World War scenario, a menacing so-called freedom fighter, known by the alias V (Weaving), is using evil forces to fight against the Fascist government in London. When he saves the life of Evey Hammond, they develop a bond, and she soon forms an alliance. Meanwhile, V’s true identity and his past start to unravel, and the police begin to doubt the core value of the government.
About the film: V For Vendetta is a faithful adaptation of Alan Moore’s graphic novel of the same name published between 1983 and 1985. It received rave reviews for the serious portrayal of dark themes of corrupt government and vengeance.
Image credit: V For Vendetta/ © 2006 – Warner Bros. All rights reserved./ IMDb
IMDb rating: 8.2
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Ken Watanabe, Liam Neeson
Synopsis: Bruce Wayne (Bale) travels to Asia where he receives martial arts training from Henri Ducard (Neeson) and Ra’s al Ghul (Watanabe). When Henri shares the League’s diabolic plan to destroy Gotham City, Bruce returns to his homeland and with the help of his butler Alfred (Caine) and tech expert Lucius Fox (Freeman), he emerges as the caped crusader named Batman.
About the film: This Nolan film shows just how a master sets up an origin story of a superhero and lays the foundation of The Dark Knight trilogy. The movie catapults the protagonist out of the shrouds of the Joel Schumacher movies and places it as one of the best DC movies.
Image credit: Batman Begins/ Photo by David James (c) 2002 – © 2004 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 8.4
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz
Synopsis: Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) is a socially isolated person with a failed career in comedy. For his day job as a clown, he paints a mask and later constantly looks for connection and relatability in the crowded streets of Gotham City. The more he learns about his illness, the more he is swallowed into madness by the constant oppression of society, which finally makes him the most dreaded antagonist to Batman.
About the film: This is one of the darkest, most sympathetic and grittiest DC movies that entails what led to the making of the villain Joker. Rendering a more human and realistic back story to the character, the film neither justifies his deeds nor negates them completely. With the phenomenal Phoenix smearing the bloody smile, it dared to foray into the unchartered themes that go beyond the DC comics.
Awards won: 2020 Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role by Joaquin Phoenix and Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score) by Hildur Guðnadóttir. Phoenix also won in the same category and Guðnadóttir won the Original Music at the 2020 BAFTA Awards. She also won the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media.
Image credit: Joker/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 8.4
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway
Synopsis: The befitting ending to the Dark Knight trilogy and Bale’s Batman, this superhero movie is a fantastic DC film. Batman takes all the responsibility for the death of district attorney Harvey Dent eight years back and since then has disappeared into oblivion. However, with the advent of Selina Kyle (Hathaway), aka Catwoman, and Gotham City coming under attack by Bane (Hardy), Batman must arise to protect the people.
Image credit: The Dark Knight Rises/ © 2012 – Warner Bros. Pictures/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 9
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman
Synopsis: The film follows Batman (Bale) keeping a close tab on crime in Gotham. Along with Lt. Jim Gordon (Oldman) and DA Harvey Dent (Eckhart), he rounds up petty criminals and maintains law and order. However, when the Clown Prince of Crime, Joker (Ledger), wreaks havoc in the city, Bruce Wayne is made to “confront everything he believes.” Their clash becomes extremely personal, and the film draws out a thin border between what is perceived as heroism and vigilantism.
About the film: Nolan’s The Dark Knight is not only a gem in The Dark Knight trilogy but also the best DC movie ranked with the highest score on IMDb. Events in the film begin just a year after Batman Begins (2005) and Nolan’s mastery brings out a unique aspect to storytelling. Ledger’s outstanding performance as the most dangerous villain and upholding a sheer cross-section of themes like sacrifice and good-over-evil, the film sets unprecedented standards for superhero films.
Awards won: 2009 Oscars for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Heath Ledger (posthumously) and Best Achievement in Sound Editing for Richard King. Ledger also won in the same category at the 2009 BAFTA Awards (posthumously).
Image credit: The Dark Knight/ © TM &DC Comics.2008 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved./ IMDb
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer: Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight’ is the highest-rated DC movie on IMDb. It is the second film in ‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy.
Answer: Christopher Nolan’s 2018 film ‘The Dark Knight’ is the highest-rated DC movie with a score of nine on IMDb.
Answer: Some of the lowest-rated DC movies, according to IMDb, are ‘Batman & Robin’ (1997), ‘Catwoman’ (2004), ‘Superman IV: The Quest For Peace’ (1987) and ‘Steel’ (1997).
