Underplayed Gems

Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)

Batman: The Killing Joke poster
Directed by
Sam Liu
Genre
action film, thriller, crime film, mystery film, superhero film, psychological drama
Country
United States
Runtime
1h 12m
Rated
R
Rating
6.6 of 10 from 1,943 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More films like thisWatch the trailer

or watch the trailer on YouTube

How it feels

The Joker tries to drive Commissioner Gordon insane to prove that anyone can become like him. Batman struggles to stop his enemy while dealing with the Joker's twisted plan.

tensebleakdisturbinggrittycerebraldarkslow-burnpsychological

What happens

Batman: The Killing Joke is a 2016 American adult animated superhero film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Featuring the DC Comics character Batman, the film is the 27th of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies, based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland. The film is directed by Sam Liu, written by Brian Azzarello and stars the voices of Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Tara Strong, and Ray Wise. Like the novel, the film follows the Joker, Batman's arch-nemesis, and his efforts to drive police commissioner James Gordon insane as Batman works desperately to stop him. Development of a film adaptation of the novel began in 2009. Production was stalled due to the under-performance of DC's live-action adaptation of Moore's Watchmen. In 2011, Hamill expressed interest in reprising his role of the Joker for the adaptation, resulting in a fan campaign for its production. In 2015, producer Bruce Timm confirmed that an animated feature based on the book was in development. It is the first Batman film and Warner Bros. Animation film to be rated R by the MPAA. Batman: The Killing Joke premiered at San Diego Comic-Con on July 22, 2016. The film was originally intended to be released directly on home video but, due to its popularity, was instead released simultaneously in theaters and digitally on July 25, 2016, for a special one-night event. It released on DVD and Blu-ray August 2, 2016. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with most of the criticism aimed at the film's first half. It grossed $4.4 million worldwide and became the 9th highest-grossing R-rated animated film worldwide. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.