It seems like every year the general public is bombarded by countless superhero movies. Known for a reliable audience turnout and consistent box office sales, the comic book movie genre is more than abundant in its number of yearly film releases. From a company standpoint, a superhero movie is a well-made investment, especially when a release is within an already existing franchise or universe—it can pretty much guarantee a profit from fans who will watch it. From the standpoint of an average viewer, it can honestly be tiring. The formulaic superhero movie is vastly more common than a genre-breaking film starring a hero, and it can only be enjoyable for so long before you’re burnt out from the same film with a different ensemble and a new soundtrack. 

As a result, I was reluctant to get any hopes up hearing about a new Batman film. I was wary of less than stellar remakes, and I worried about what was to come. However, as details of Matt Reeves’s The Batman began to be revealed to the press, I let my guard down and allowed my pessimistic superhero film opinions to slip away. And eventually, after seeing a showing in my local theater, I was pleasantly surprised. 

The Batman isn’t just a superhero movie. It’s a crime noir thriller, a detective story, and quite frankly, a very striking portrayal of Gotham City’s Dark Knight and his fight against a city steeped in corruption. Reeves not only does a wonderful job of focusing on the protagonist, Bruce Wayne, but on the city that is faced with its own shadows that will never fade without a moral guide to lead it to that path. 

Regarding the film’s technical aspects, its cinematography was striking. Its atmosphere was perfectly dark and rainy, creating images that are bound to stay in your head as you view how sinister the city really is. Accompanied by Michael Giacchino’s fitting score, the film truly immerses you in the world that Batman is facing. 

Robert Pattinson is a solid Batman. He’s young, upset, and angry, but it makes him feel like a real unpolished hero who still has to find himself while confronting constant evil. I also really enjoyed the film’s exploration of his detective skills. Zoë Kravitz plays an immensely intriguing Catwoman, who honestly steals the screen whenever she appears. Her Selina Kyle challenges Batman against his black-and-white views of morality and the world. My personal favorite character in the film, the Riddler, theatrically played by Paul Dano, is a phenomenal villain. He unsettlingly parallels Batman and Bruce Wayne, as both come from the same orphan identity in childhood, but the two of them are pushed into drastically different lives as a result of the wealth one does and does not bear. He is also an interesting representation of the city’s marginalized—the people who have been neglected and seek promised change that never arrives. He does something against those fake promises, vowing to elicit what he wants. 

I’ve intentionally avoided talking about the plot of the film in detail so far. This is an extraordinary movie to watch blind without any extensive knowledge. Unlike most superhero movies nowadays, it’s not directly connected to a wider cinematic universe that forces you to watch one movie before the next or be on the lookout for cameos and Easter eggs thrown in. There isn’t this constant worry about missing anything or trying to piece together how this fits into a larger plotline as you’re watching. You can go into this movie without knowing who Batman is and walk out with an exceptional cinema experience. 

The Batman is a solid 4.5/5 stars, although it had some pacing issues and moments where the three-hour runtime was unfortunately noticeable. However, I can look away from these minor flaws as the film gives us a Batman movie that is so down-to-earth and unique in its approach. While it’s an outlier in the genre, The Batman should be the standard for any superhero film looking to craft a compelling and engaging story.