In early March, DC films released the latest rendition of the dark knight: “The Batman.” This new interpretation tells the story of Bruce Wayne (Robert Patterson), living a double life as he attempts to get to the bottom of the murders of influential political leaders perpetrated by the Riddler (Paul Dano), a disturbed serial killer attempting to expose the rampant corruption in Gotham City. 

The movie itself is entertaining and captivating. It is much less like the classic, campy superhero movie, but instead is similar to a slow-burn physiological thriller. It copies the same ominous mood of past Batman movies, most notably the Dark Knight Trilogy. This more serious take on superheroes can be really interesting, and it worked well in this movie.  “The Batman” is a film filled with suspense; disturbing images, unsettling noises, and chilling performances all added to the sinister vibes. While these factors added to the movie, it was at times intense and a tad overwhelming. In terms of acting, this movie has greatly redeemed Robert Patterson in the public eye — who has been criticized for years since the public still has yet to get over the bizarre mess which was the “Twilight” series. At times, his character seemed to be giving off potent “angst-y teenager vibes” (for lack of a better word), but his acting was pretty good for the most part. All the actors gave compelling performances, with Paul Dano standing out by creating an unsettling yet enticing Riddler.

One place where the movie fell a little flat was with its Catwoman x Batman storyline. I loved Catwoman — Zoe Kravitz did a great job, and the character was thoughtfully crafted into the story — however, the love story between Batman and her felt a bit forced. While these two characters are always in some sort of relationship whenever they are seen either on screen or in the comics, this storyline felt a bit rushed in the movie itself. 

Since its release on March 4, 2022, the movie has made a total of $710,500,421 worldwide, and has garnered significant critical and audience acclaim. The success of this movie signifies a potential new path for DC Comics — crafting a more serious interpretation of its classic comic book characters. Recently, DC’s movies have made a decent amount of money in the box office, but have received relatively negative audience and critical reviews, especially when compared to its most proficient adversary, Marvel. However, the recent success achieved by both “Zack Synder’s Justice League” and “The Batman” show that adopting a more inauspicious style of storytelling can generate a lot more success for DC, and can be a great way for the brand to stand out from the more action-adventure vibes of Marvel.