ANIMATION – Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

Dude, if you’ve never seen Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, stop everything and fix that tonight. This 1993 theatrical gem is legit the best Batman movie, undisputed amongst fans, with that perfect ‘90s Animated Series vibe, jaw-dropping art deco animation, and a heartbreaking noir story that actually digs into Bruce Wayne’s soul like nothing else. You’ve got a mysterious masked killer bumping off mobsters, Bruce torn between vengeance and falling in love with Andrea Beaumont (the one instance where the love story lands in a Batman film), Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill at their absolute peak as Batman and Joker, and Shirley Walker’s score that’ll give you chills for days. It bombed in theaters because marketing sucked, but real ones know it’s a straight-up masterpiece, dark, romantic, tragic, and still unbeatable. One watch and you’ll never skip it again.