The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The legend ends.
Following the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman assumes responsibility for Dent's crimes to protect the late attorney's reputation and is subsequently hunted by the Gotham City Police Department. Eight years later, Batman encounters the mysterious Selina Kyle and the villainous Bane, a new terrorist leader who overwhelms Gotham's finest. The Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 17 July 2012 |
| Genre | Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller |
| Director | Christopher Nolan |
| Starring | Christian Bale, Gary Oldman and Tom Hardy |
| Runtime | 165 min |
| Rated | PG-13 |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 87% · Metacritic 78/100 · TMDB users 7.8/10 |
| Budget | $250 million |
| Box office | $1.08 billion worldwide |
Where to watch The Dark Knight Rises
The Dark Knight Rises is streaming on Max ($18.49 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Max is $18.49 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 30 September 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
What kind of watch this is
Christopher Nolan’s 2012 film is a 165-minute action drama that treats its finale like a war movie. It is a thriller where the hero fights a city that has declared him a criminal. The film is for viewers who want spectacle with actual stakes. It is not a light watch. It is a heavy, loud, and serious piece of cinema. If you want the legend to end with a bang, this is the film.
What the critics said
Critics mostly agreed the film worked. Rotten Tomatoes counts 87% positive reviews out of 376, with an average rating of 8/10 as of December 2025. Metacritic lands on 78 out of 100, signaling generally favorable reviews. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times called it "potent, persuasive and hypnotic." Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph went further, awarding five stars. Not everyone was sold. Phil Villarreal from OK! magazine rated it 1.5 out of 4, comparing it to "The Matrix Revolutions." That is a long list of movies to share with a friend who hates sequels.
How it did with audiences
The budget hit $250 million. The worldwide take reached $1.1 billion, with North America contributing $448 million. That margin suggests the studio recovered its investment several times over, a statistical comfort that likely did little to ease the discomfort of the release weekend itself. Audiences rated it 7.8 out of 10 on TMDB. The numbers stand; the context remains complicated.
What came next for the cast
Tom Hardy emerged from Inception and Black Hawk Down into a run that included Mad Max: Fury Road and The Revenant. Christian Bale moved from the Batman trilogy to The Big Short, then Ford v Ferrari, and finally Thor: Love and Thunder. Gary Oldman followed his work in The Dark Knight and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with Oppenheimer, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and The Hitman's Bodyguard. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stepped away from Inception and (500) Days of Summer to make Snowden, Don Jon, and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched The Dark Knight Rises.
Sources
- The Dark Knight Rises on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q189330 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “The Dark Knight Rises” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
Watch it without paying for the whole year
Binge Boss tracks the movie you are on and tells you which services you need this month, and which you can cancel.
Add The Dark Knight Rises to your list