For me, what stands out most about Reeves and Pattinson’s take on Batman is how legitimately scary he is.
The film, almost throughout, either forgets or doesn’t care that it’s billed as an entry in the superhero action-adventure genre. Instead, the visual language pulling us through the plot borrows heavily from the playbooks of psychological horror and thriller.
Objectively, the audience knows the Batman is merely a tough guy in a suit. But the movie does well to have us suspend this understanding, and instead view the figure in the eyes of those he challenges.
We’re taught to peer into the shadows of a frame and worry of what may be hiding behind them. We begin listening for the sinister footsteps and swishes of cloth in the dark corners of the screen. And then when the Bat does finally emerge, the imposing nature of his presence may even make us perceive a monster before we see the man.
That the Batman mythology has a horror leaning is of course not a new perspective. The comic history and various animated depictions have before stepped into this mode of presentation. And to be clear, previous live action Batmans have also had similar moments. In fact, the entirety of Batman Begins fixated on the idea of fear and presented that Bruce Wayne’s driving motivation as about embracing, controlling, and eventually inspiring fear.
In Batman Begins, the first time we see Bruce Wayne fully suited in battle, he creeps between criminals and spends most of the fight sneaking just beyond the frame. He knocks out a handful of foes and pulls enemies into the darkness, appearing more as a specter than a person until his final confrontation with Falcone.
In Zack Snyder’s take, our introduction to the hero comes when two cops go to investigate a criminal’s hideout in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Here our anxiety builds as we, at first, only learn about Batman’s presence via the horrified reactions of both the police and the people he saves. Indeed those in the scene refer to him repeatedly as “it” or the “devil.” And then finally, when we do see the vigilante, he dashes across the ceiling and disappears like a ghost rather than a man.
However, while both these examples did well to establish the fear the Batman could inspire, as we got to know the character in later scenes some of this more horror-inspired imagery did let up over time.
But what is striking about The Batman is how completely it commits to this darker presentation, and how it doesn’t quite let up throughout the film’s run time. Of course we do have more tender moments with this Batman as he interacts with those close to him and struggles to solve mysteries coming his way.
But still, every time he steps into a scene amid the night, the audience is left uneasy and unsure of what exactly he will do. No matter what the context of his appearance is, it’s not entirely clear that we can trust him to act rationally. While the vigilante is a hero and a good person, I personally don’t think I would feel comfortable ever sharing a room with this Batman. Thus, the movie succeeds in inspiring in its audience the same fear that those in Gotham may have of him.
This all makes me recall the myriad discussions upon the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, criticizing how dark and bleak this and many then-recent DC Comics superhero films were. Many even claimed that this dark choice was itself a primary reason for the films’ perceived failures. However, dark and bleak stories have succeeded many times in popular genres such as horror, thriller, and even action, so this argument always felt insincere.
And luckily, The Batman here seems unswayed by this criticism as it confidently swings its story into darker territory than the DC projects have ever turned to before (though, to be clear, this film does not appear to share a universe with or have any connection to the established DC Extended Universe film canon).
This willingness to ignore the older critiques of bleakness, and instead go deeper into darkness and horror for the film’s own artistic vision, I believe is what allows this story to excel in its own unique way. It stands so apart from many of its peers in the comic book adaptation space of films. Though, interestingly, I do think it would fit well beside the similarly dark and excellent Joker of 2019.
There is very little happiness in this take on the Batman, and I wouldn’t be surprised if many find watching this film to be uncomfortable. But the Batman, as an idea, has always hinted at something sinister looking back at us. The symbol is meant to be hopeful to some, but horrifying to many.
So it just feels so incredibly right for this latest entry to leave us satisfied and terrified all at once.
The Batman hits theaters on March 4th, 2022. The film is directed by Matt Reeves and stars Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, and Paul Dano.
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