Growing up, my family and I were all huge fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. My dad refrained from us seeing DC films with the stigma being that many were “too dark” while Marvel’s films always had just the right amount of comedy.
I never thought I’d find myself in the theaters to see a movie in the DC Universe.
“The Batman” made me realize that films with a high amount of intensity and suspense can be equally as captivating in their performance. Starring Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, “The Batman” lures in its viewers with its cinematography, score and beguiling plotline.
Director Matt Reeves, who has also directed films such as “War for the Planet of the Apes” (2017), “Cloverfield” (2008) and “Let Me In” (2010), takes a lot of fear from the world today within places and people of power, monetary corruption, climate change and social media being able to form terrorist organizations. The heart of the film comes down to a young man trying to discover the root and make sense of his childhood trauma.
Reeves altogether brought originality to the piece and provided a story that many DC fans had not yet seen told like this before. He stuck with the same aesthetic throughout the filmmaking process, with beautiful camera work done by Greg Fraser.
The stylistic choices making this film so dark did not disappoint. The shots themselves were dimly lit and did not always light the entirety of the actors’ faces. The scenes were never overbearingly dark, making it feel as if at times we were discovering something new in each scene with the Riddler’s plan as the lights began to get more prominent towards the climatic ending scene.
With all of this darkness in mind, the city of Gotham never felt like it was “dead”—it was equally full of action and heartbreak.
Pattinson’s work as an actor surprised me. He embodied the character fully; full of grief, sorrow and grit. Pattinson gave moments of horror and thrill to give an unexpected twist to the film.
Paul Dano as the Riddler was almost too believable. His role being the haunting serial killer also gave moments of dark comedy, where we felt it was too crazy that we had to laugh.
I really enjoyed the use of Nirvana’s “Something in The Way” opening and closing the film. This intentional choice was meaningful along with being impactful to the story. The lyrics add to the plot, as well as its gloomy character entrance and exit music.
The movie as a whole was brilliant. Its pacing was stellar and its run time did not feel as if it was a three-hour film. If you have the chance to watch this film, it is definitely worth the time. From someone who has never been a DC fan, this movie will definitely be winning many awards because of its directional choices.