THE BATMAN (2022): FILM REVIEW

The Batman (M)

Directed by Matt Reeves

Written by Matt Reeves and Peter Craig

Starring Robert Pattinson, Paul Dano, Zoe Kravitz and Jeffrey Wright

Duration: 175 minutes

There has been no shortage of Batman films, both live-action and animated, since the 1990s, so it's not without merit to ask the question ahead of Matt Reeves' and Robert Pattinson's new take on the Caped Crusader; do we need another Batman movie?

©Warner Bros. 2022

Of course the practical answer is invariably no, we never need another Batman movie, but if you were to make another entry into the canon, what is it going to add to the already fairly comprehensive collection of films that exist at the pointy end of popular culture and cinema? For some, the fact that Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy only concluded ten years ago with The Dark Knight Rises would be enough to convince you that The Batman could never be anything more than a footnote, a feeling that I do understand. 

However, having seen The Batman on the big screen, those worries are completely unfounded. The Batman manages to coexist with other Batman films we have seen before, taking part in that ongoing conversation with nods, references and continuations of thematic through-lines, whilst simultaneously feeling entirely singular, unique and confident in pursuing a type of Batman film we haven't seen before. It doesn't hurt that it's bloody excellent, either. 

This rain-soaked vision of Gotham takes more cues from films like Chinatown, Se7en and even James Wan's grisly psych-horror Saw than it does from anything else we've seen in this universe before. It follows more of the realism seen in Nolan's films, but with just enough flairs of gothic architecture and imagery to place it in a really visually interesting middle ground between brutal realism and stylised comic strip pulp. This visual style is matched perfectly with the script, which leans heavily into the detective elements of Batman's history and lineage. For the first more than half of the film, The Batman is a twisting, disturbing, compelling and deeply psychological serial killer mystery. It deals in clues and codes, rather than punches and Batmobiles, and it is supremely compelling. 

©Warner Bros. 2022

And it doesn't pull its punches, either (to a point, but I'll get to that later). This is not a kid's film, to be sure. Like I said earlier, it pulls strong influence from Se7en and Chinatown, both in its detective work, but also in its brutality and disturbing portrayal of people doing horrific things. The killer is twisted an meticulous, much like John Doe in Se7en, and leaves both clues and messages for both the police and for Batman; clues that both give the audience things to chew on and give the world of the film a depth and lived-in quality that is all-encompassing. Batman films have dealt in jet-black humour before (The Dark Knight’s Joker being the obvious example), but the film relishes in the twisted games The Riddler plays with both his victims and the police. Whether it’s a severed thumb serving as a pun or supremely disturbing rat imagery, it allows The Riddler’s perverted MO to dictate the visual and ethical language of large sections of the runtime.

I only wish that the film wasn’t bound by its PG-13 restraints for this very reason. The film is most compelling when it is a gritty murder mystery, borrowing from a number of key visual and thematic texts in the process, and I think would have benefited from more grit. Not to say that it needs more gore or violence - the type of implied violence (both physical and psychological) that it deals in is much more effective than any on-screen violence could ever hope to be in this setting. I just think that more of what it already has in some particularly strong moments would have elevated the film even further. 

©Warner Bros. 2022

For a surprisingly long time across the film’s three hour runtime there is little to no action, a bold choice that pays off in huge ways, especially when the action eventually does take place. There is a car chase that takes place in the second act of the film that is totally breathless and exhilarating, more so because of the restraint that the film has shown up until that point. It is a masterclass in action filmmaking, leaning into the rainy, low-visibility aesthetic to create a sequence as thrilling as it is disorienting, and climaxing in the sort of symbolic image you could hang an entire film off. Equally as compelling, though, is the introduction to this iteration of the Batmobile in the lead up to said car chase. Reeves has spoken about this sequence and his desire to introduce the Batmobile in the same way as you would a horror monster, with full emphasis on both menace and ambiguity. It makes itself known from the shadows after a misdirect with the gently idling engine, before revealing itself from the shadows with a monstrous roar. 

©Warner Bros. 2022

Never before has Batman been this scary. Paul Dano as The Riddler is scene-stealingly terrifying (his introduction in the opening scene is particularly chilling), but when this Bruce Wayne puts on the suit he becomes a skin-crawling creature of the night. After an opening montage of criminals being spooked by shadowy corners where Batman could be (but ultimately isn't), he eventually does emerge from the shadows to confront a group of criminals on Halloween night in a train station. There is no camp, no silliness. Just the methodical sound of his boots on the wet concrete, before he makes himself known physically. And this Batman does not pull his punches. But this streak of horror aesthetic runs deeps through the film. There are a number of sequences that make direct reference to the visual language of the hugely popular Saw films - first with a particularly frightening torture device that makes use of rats, but then again later as Batman and Gordon are led through an abandoned mansion by clues and cryptic messages painted on the dilapidated walls. It's a unique take on the visual language of Batman, and it is one grounded in the reality of police procedurals with just enough Gothic imagery to tie it back to the source material. 

Often films like these begin to lose me in their third acts, usually when character-driven narrative gives way to large-scale CGI-tastic punch-ups. The Batman is a great case study in how to ramp up stakes in your third act without losing its firm roots of character and theme - the action expands in traditionally visually stimulating ways, but much like the Dark Knight trilogy before it, it never grows so large that it loses sight of the character drama at the centre of the conflict. There is one scene in particular towards the end that felt more like groundwork for future instalments that I could have done without, but the editing and pacing of this film keep it moving along at such a breakneck speed that by the time that final act confrontation does happen it is breathless and exciting, not exhausting, as they so often are. 

©Warner Bros. 2022

So to answer that initial question, do we need another Batman movie, the obvious answer is no, of course we don't need one, but if it's going to be as awesome as this, why wouldn't you? Matt Reeves' The Batman is visually exciting, scary, thrilling, adult, complex and rewarding in a way that live action Batman hasn't been since 2008. Whether or not you think that this instalment is superior to Christopher Nolan's take on the Caped Crusader will rely entirely on taste, because from all objective and technical perspectives, The Batman is a triumph. See it in theatres on as big a screen as you can find, and let yourself get trapped in The Riddler's game. 

But what did you think of The Batman? Let me know down below, or hit me up on Instagram to continue the conversation.