Review: The Batman is darker and grittier than previous reboots
The Caped Crusader is back in cinemas now
Gotham fatigue? From the looks of it, there’s no such thing. Matt Reeves’ The Batman may be the ninth major film in the past 20 years to feature the city, but there’s no sign that audiences are tiring of the grimy crime-ridden metropolis when it comes to the box office receipts. The Batman is set to be one of the biggest films since the start of the pandemic, bringing in a massive £97 million within its first four days and becoming the fifth biggest ever March opening.
And yet, this isn’t anything like the kind of superhero films that usually dominate at the box office. In fact, it’s barely a superhero film at all. Reeves has picked his genres and stuck to them as much as possible, placing Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne within a gritty detective thriller that’s closer to David Fincher’s Zodiac or Seven than it is previous Marvel or DC flicks. Taking its inspiration from gloomy noir and morose serial killer tales, the lengthy slow-burn film pushes the limit when it comes to just how dark and intense a blockbuster can get.
Not for everyone
There’s no question about it, this iteration of Batman is destined to be divisive. Some will love that it really takes a new twist on the expected story, and that it doubles down on the bleak and brooding atmosphere rather than pivoting away from it. Others may be shocked at how inaccessible and unwelcoming this film is happy to be, and it’s safe to say it’s not designed to appeal to mass audiences in the way many Marvel movies are. It’s not without humour entirely, but it is joyless and downbeat on purpose, and aims to be more serious and thought-provoking than most other comics-inspired fare. It’s also not much like other Batman tales too. The film begins with Wayne two years into his vigilante mission, sidestepping the usual origin story that we all know in favour of a character-driven and conspiracy-filled mystery about the Gotham underworld and how Batman fits into it.
Bruce Wayne at his most emo
As others have pointed out, this is the most tortured and emo Bruce Wayne we’ve ever seen on the big screen. There’s no playboy lifestyle in this version, and it’s clear that he’s mourning and using his nightly escapades as a way to process his grief. He’s already teamed up with cop Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and there’s more “detective Batman” in this film than any previous one too. The structure sees them examining one murder scene after another as the Riddler (Paul Dano) leaves cryptic clues about why he’s going after his high-profile targets. Without giving anything away, the story soon involves Selina Kyle aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz) and she has her own reasons for getting into the investigation. The more they all uncover about the motives behind the murders, the more they find that everything’s untangled with organised crime in the city, including the likes of the Penguin (Colin Farrell) and mobster Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). The Batman has an excellent ensemble cast, and everybody delivers strong performances throughout, especially Pattinson (who is in costume far more than he is out of it), Kravitz and Dano.
The Darkest Knight
Cinematographer Greig Fraser (Dune and Rogue One) and Reeves deliver possibly the most distinctive look and style in any recent superhero-adjacent film here, creating a dirty and blackened frame lit by neon street signs, bright car headlights, sudden explosions, and the faint glow of the sun. Most of the film is set at night and, much like Blade Runner, it’s constantly (yes, that means constantly) raining in this noir take on Gotham. There are evident horror influences, and notes of Halloween and Taxi Driver. It feels a lot like Fincher’s Zodiac, Seven and Fight Club when it comes to the grime and unpleasantness of the city’s underbelly too. The Batman aims for a slightly heightened yet still grounded realism in its costumes, stunts and sets; the action is kinetic, tense and propulsive, yet much of it feels real and believable. All of this is heightened by Michael Giacchino’s ominous and powerful score, with its emotional main character themes, and a mix of sombreness with suspense-filled spookiness.
A mix of horror, conspiracy thrillers and gangster movies
In yet another noir-inspired choice, The Batman is upfront about its themes and features a bookending voice-over from Pattinson to hammer home what the story is about. The movie takes the lead character on a journey — he goes from processing his pain and his fear by becoming the creature in the shadows for villains to dread to being someone that can be heroic and perhaps even inspire hope in the citizens of Gotham. Along the way, he has to deal with his past and the past of his parents, learning about how they were people like anyone else rather than the idealised figures he pictures in his mind. This story brings Bruce Wayne face-to-face with Gotham’s corruption and the notion of how an amoral world taints even the good people within it. This is a film with a lot on its mind, and it’s one that often goes in a riskier direction rather than a safer one. It wants to get stuck into ideas about sins, virtue, vengeance and justice, and it never has easy answers for the questions it poses. This makes it all the more enthralling, and it’s sure to stay on your mind long after you’ve left the cinema.
Verdict
More a detective thriller than a typical superhero movie, this is a dark and moody take on the Batman story that’s brutal and exhilarating.
★★★★½
When the Riddler, a sadistic serial killer, begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman is forced to investigate the city’s hidden corruption and question his family’s involvement. (IMDb)
Running time: 2 hours and 56 minutes
Director: Matt Reeves
Writers: Matt Reeves, Peter Craig
Stars: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell, Paul Dano, John Turturro, Andy Serkis
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