Direction: Matt Reeves
Country: USA
With its brooding atmosphere and formidable cast, this haunting superhero flick directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, 2008; War For the Planet of the Apes, 2017) has an infatuated, if depressed, Batman (Robert Pattinson doesn’t disappoint with his impersonation of the vigilante at a younger age) joining forces with the seductive Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz) to fight the organized crime in Gotham while trying to grapple with the ghosts of their own families.
This renewed installment puts on display not only unscrupulous villains with cynical postures - spearheaded by the cruel psycho killer Riddler (Paul Dano) and rounded out by the underground crime kingpin Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and a blander Penguin (Colin Farrell) - but also crooked politicians and police agents, exception made for the honorable officer James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright).
Reeves’ self-possessed direction digs into the character with gravitas and precision, making for a reinvigorating return to basics. Effectively paced, with sober special effects as well as depressingly noir scenarios, the film embraces this darkly captivating mood that, even clocking in at 180 minutes, never felt exhausting. Although falling short of brilliant, The Batman follows a competent plot that translates into some seriously spellbinding moments. It's definitely no ordinary movie, standing on its own as a solid piece of entertainment. Nirvana’s fantastic song “Something in the Way” bookends the story, reinforcing the gothic and the nihilistic in it.
