Nightmare Fuel / The Batman (2022)

Riddle me this...

"What's black...and blue...and dead all over? You. If you think you can stop what's coming."

—Edward Nashton / The Riddler

Considering this page was made after one trailer, the Dark Knight's newest major cinematic iteration was bound to have more than a few good scares for the resident Bat-Fans.

Unmarked spoilers below!

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Previews

• The Riddler, traditionally one of Batman's more gimmicky and goofy enemies, is reinterpreted as a creepy Zodiac/John Doe-like Serial Killer (with the murder he is seen committing in the trailer being strongly evocative of Doe's "Greed" murder) with a childlike interest in poetry.
  • His voice is really unsettling at the end of the trailer.
  • The riddle shown in the greeting card reads "What does a liar do when he dies?" and a mysterious code. Fans brute forced the answer: "He lies still."
  • At one point, the Riddler infiltrates the Mayor's funeral and sends a car careening into the crowd, all while he watches from the balcony, his face obscured by sunlight. Behind the wheel is the recently kidnapped District Attorney with his mouth duct-taped shut, a phone stuck to his hand, and a bomb attached around his neck, which is apparently shown to detonate later on. This version of Eddie is not fucking around.
• Batman himself takes his usual Terror Hero shtick and dials it way up. His ruthless, bone-crunching attack on one hopelessly overconfident goon leaves the others shaking in their boots, and he even seems to relish the act. Even his voice is not a theatrical growl, or enhanced by a voice modulator like previous films, but instead a hateful whisper not unlike Michael Keaton's portrayal. This Batman is clearly toeing the line between hero and vigilante, and it's easy to see why even the police keep their distance when he's around.
  • Usually, Batman delivers his Mook Horror Show routine by appearing to be everywhere at once, taking criminals out one by one, and generally trying to seem stronger, faster, and tougher than he really is. Here? He just beats the utter crap out of a mook in front of a sizable group of them, and it’s clear that they can't hurt him at all. This Batman doesn’t need to seem more frightening than he really is… because he’s just that terrifying.
  • His appearance as Bruce Wayne isn't much better. He looks a good deal more gaunt and unkempt than the usual depiction, emphasizing the dark frame of mind he's in, as this is only his second year active, and therefore his grief and rage are still fresh. The final shot of the trailer is just Bruce, standing in his cave with eyeshadow on, delivering a chilling, soulless glare at the camera.
• Matt Reeves has said he was going for a Batman who hasn't exactly found his footing, who lets his anger get the best of him, and the lines between Batman and Bruce Wayne are blurred. There's no better representation of that than the shot of him beating the criminal up while Selina looks on, terrified.
• The ending of the second trailer. Cobblepot thinks that he's managed to kill Batman when the Batmobile is seemingly blown to pieces in a car chase, with Cobblepot boasting manically to himself... until he sees the Batmobile coming straight out of the flames, ramming into him shortly afterward. The final shot of the trailer is Batman walking out of the Batmobile like a bat out of hell and closing in on Cobblepot, straight from the latter's perspective. This is truly someone who can, and will, strike fear into the very core of criminals.
  • The upside-down POV angle is also very symbolic: bats typically hang upside-down. Even the sight of hundreds of them sleeping next to each other like that tends to give people the creeps.
• The third trailer adds a terrible new wrinkle to the story: not only is it suggested that Riddler knows who Batman really is, but that he knows more about his childhood and his family than Bruce himself does. While The Dark Knight established that Bruce Wayne is not the kind of man a sane, ordinary person would blackmail for fear of their life, this flips the whole idea on its head — a killer who ritualistically murders those thought to be untouchable, and forces his hostages into suicide bomb vests just to deliver messages, is not the man you ever want to have any leverage or advantage on you, especially if you're venturing into his lair.
• The funeral clip. While we've already seen the big climax of the scene, the amount of suspense and buildup of dread makes it even more terrifying. There is an eerie level of realism from it, from the screams in the background and the discourse amongst the people in the church BEFORE the car comes ramming in.
  • The change in music is haunting as it transitions from the church choir’s singing to a foreboding tune.
  • Seeing the Riddler looking down at Bruce and the other funeral attendees really shows how much control he has over these elaborate yet sadistic games of his.

Film

• The Riddler is introduced spying on the Mitchells' home, with the audio muffled by his Vader Breath; he then appears behind Mayor Mitchell, watching him silently in the shadows…before suddenly leaping into action, screaming and brutally bludgeoning the Mayor nearly to death, an opening act that makes the Riddler seem more like The Shape than a Batman villain.
  • The sole image of the Mayor moving out of frame to reveal the Riddler standing completely still and silent behind him, with only the reflection of the TV in his glasses visible. It's the first time we see him in the film, and it's one hell of a first impression.
  • As Riddler watches the Mayor from the shadows not five feet behind him, he eventually attacks with the most bloodcurdling, inhuman, and startling scream imaginable, practically leaping onto him and beating him to death with a blunt instrument. Apart from his heavy breathing, it's the only sound he ever makes in the opening scene, and establishes this is not going to be a typical Riddler in the slightest.
  • After bludgeoning the mayor to the ground, Riddler straddles his body and grabs at something from the front of his waist (duct tape). The extended length of the shot, Riddler's heavy breathing and his gimp-like costume make it seem like he's about to...do something really bad. Thankfully(?), he's only there to murder and mutilate the man.
  • The way Riddler dramatically pulls apart the roll of duct tape shows how much he's relishing in the murder. He's practically euphoric while doing it.
• Scenes taking place from Riddler's POV can be identified by the heavy breathing. Riddler breathes so heavily because he covers his face and head in cling film to not leave DNA evidence behind at crime scenes.
• Batman's introductory scene, showing his effect on the petty criminals of Gotham. Just the mere appearance of the signal light in the sky — a single small reminder of the Batman's presence — absolutely paralyzes a convenience store robber and a group of graffiti taggers with fear as they begin staring at darkened alleys and doorways, terrified that something's going to step out at any moment. The most chilling part is Giacchino's score, which at this point begins to relentlessly build and build with higher and higher downward string runs in time to their panic, sounding increasingly claustrophobic until it's like the sky itself is falling in.
  • The Batman has just thrashed the crew of Jokerz that had almost lynched a civilian. The civilian's reaction when the Bat's done? He whimpers, begging the vigilante not to hurt him. This is made worse by the Batman making no attempt to reassure the man; he just…stands there, as if he might be planning another painful beating. The Batman has instilled fear in Gotham's criminals... but he has also instilled fear in everyone else. Fortunately, this Batman doesn't cross the line into Beware the Superman territory.
• The Riddler's first riddle, centered around a "thumb drive", is creepy not just for its cruelty and the perfection with which all the pieces fit together once solved, but for the sheer effort he put into making what is little more than a macabre pun. It does a chillingly good job of driving home that they are dealing with someone who is not merely ruthless or sadistic; his whole set of priorities are totally alien to normal people, and when you combine that with a clearly very high intelligence, you've got no means to anticipate or predict him. It's almost a relief when more people have died and it becomes clear he does actually have a pattern and goals which are understandable.
• The Riddler's third murder is packed with all sorts of nightmare fuel, and it comes right after Colson crashes into the mayor's funeral.
  • The moment the DA starts begging for his life during Riddler's stream, the latter promptly shuts him up by roaring at him that he deserves to die for his corruption. This is followed by Riddler's unsettling comical groaning and laughter.
    "At the moment, the man across from you, Mister Colson, is dead! But! Wait a minute—SHUT UP! YOU DESERVE TO BE DEAD AFTER WHAT YOU DID! YOU- HEEEEAAAARRR MEEEEEEE?!"
  • Riddler casually livestreaming himself holding a major political figure hostage is already unnerving.
  • Colson is so desperate to save his own skin that he quickly admits defeat when he realizes he needs to give out the rat's name in regards to the Maroni case. He knows that if the truth of that comes out, it will turn Gotham on its own head. Unfortunately, he was right in the end.
  • Riddler counting down the bomb's last few seconds.
    Riddler: FIVE! FOUR! THREE! GOOD... BYE!
  • Pay close attention to what the Riddler says to Colson. He tells Colson that he'll give him the code for the lock. Not the bomb itself. He had no intention of letting Colson live.
• The following scene in the GCPD. The police have dragged Batman back there after the explosion, and he comes to right when one of them wants to unmask him. The following scene is tense and claustrophobic, as Batman is stuck in a crowded room filled with hostile cops, and comes closer to being unmasked than he does for most of the rest of the film. It's only Gordon pretending to turn on him and getting the others out of the room so they can share information and devise a plan for Batman to escape that saves him from the wrath of the cops - one whom Batman already knows for sure is a dirty cop he's traded blows with before.
• While it's also incredibly amazing, the reveal of the Batmobile has threads of this as well. In previous iterations, the Batmobile's engine revving sounds like rumbling thunder. What does the Batmobile sound like as the jet engine fires up? It shrieks like a banshee, on top of the growling rumble of the regular engine itself. It's so terrifyingly alien, that everything else in the scene (gunfire, background music, even the freaking RAIN) stops, and Gordon, Catwoman, and especially Penguin can only watch in horror at this monstrous machine. Word of God has it that the portrayal of the Batmobile in this movie was directly inspired by the titular Sinister Car from Christine, so make of that what you will.
  • Related: the chase focuses more on Penguin's perspective than Batman's. When Penguin grabs his SMG and fires it at Batman's window, we have a greater focus on the window from the outside, with the gunfire leaving many points of impact framing the Batman's silhouette. When Penguin gets on the highway and smacks into another car, looks the other way to hear the monstrous thing still pursuing him. Even the other highwaygoers make Penguin panic, as a bunch of honking 18-wheelers box him in and his only available answer to this is to scream and collide into one, causing a truck pile-up in an effort to get away from Batman. But Batman proves an unstoppable force and drives through the crashes and the resulting flames, shocking Penguin—because he sees a dark shape wreathed in flames nullifying his "victory" and charging directly at him. It's as if the film stepped into being a slasher film, with Batman filling the role of the slasher villain and Penguin the role of the powerless Audience Surrogate would-be victim.
• Batman frantically racing back to the Wayne mansion after realizing Alfred is in danger, panicking as he tries to call him, only to realize that he's already too late, shortly after which he sees the mansion on fire. It's a gut-wrenching scene.
• The Riddler somehow manages to come across as more inhuman when he's unmasked; things as simple as the way his eyes move when he's pinned to the table and arrested, and the strange combination of smug calm and obsessive intensity he gives off makes your skin crawl.
  • The way the Riddler's unmasked broadcast appeals to his fans' combination of despair and desire for human connection in a distinctly parasocial influencer-like way, then turns that loneliness and hurt to the purpose of mass violence, is seriously creepy. The highly visible crowd of people who think the Riddler is doing the right thing is unsettling enough, but the way he behaves toward his core community of devotees is half-fandom, half-death cult.
• Riddler broadcasts the murky truth about Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne after his attempted murder on Bruce. Martha is revealed to be part of the Arkham family and an in-and-out mental patient in Arkham State Hospital after her parents died in front of her. Thomas had seemingly ordered Falcone to kill a journalist, Edward Elliot, who was going to release this information to the public, to save his image and mayoral campaign. Bruce gazes at the monitor in complete horror and shock, as the parents he idolized and dedicated his crusade to were not who he thought they were, and he feels that Alfred betrayed him by not telling him for his entire life. Though we learn later on from Alfred that his mother and father were still good people and Good Parents who had simply made mistakes, albeit reckless and deadly ones, in the past.
  • Riddler's unhinged monologuing does not make the scene any better, as you can feel the disdain he has for the Waynes and the joy of bringing the truth to light.
    Riddler: THE WAYNES AND THE ARKHAMS! GOTHAM'S LEGACY OF LIES AND MURDER! I hope you're listening, Bruce Wayne. This is your legacy too. And Gotham needs you to answer for the sins of your father. Goodbye...
• Batman uncovers Riddler's ultimate plan via the archive of a conversation he had with his followers that seems like it was ripped from an actual video log from a terrorist. What's creepy is how casual he is when talking to the others about their plans to flood Gotham and gun down hundreds of innocents at Bella Reál's victory rally, which indicates that for all his talk about wanting justice, he's little more than a revenge-driven psychopath falsely preaching higher ideals.
  Riddler: It's time for the lies to finally end. False promises of renewal? CHAAANGE?! We'll give them a real, real change now! We've spent our lives in this wretched place SUFFERING!!! Wondering "Why us?" Now they will spend their last moments wondering, "WHYYYYYYYYY THEM?!?!?!"
  • The fact that his followers are all donning his mask and costume during the attack. Because Edward Nashton did everything in his power to make the costume appearance his true self, the audience would only see multiple Riddlers everywhere, despite knowing that the real one is locked up in Arkham.
  • In all of Riddler's broadcasts, the sidebar is flooded with commenters cheering on his violence. His final stream even has one pointing out to the other viewers how easy it would be to acquire the Riddler’s look for themselves for the attack at the Gardens. The whole thing gives vibes of real world radicalization leading to domestic terrorism.
  • Worse? He's shown to have only 500 followers, and of those only a dozen actually moved to act. Five hundred subscribers is a ridiculously small amount, and small-time vloggers/streamers may easily reach it.
  • The flooding of Gotham itself. Batman, along with Officer Martinez who had been accompanying him at that moment, watch in horror as the city and its citizens are utterly submerged, the havoc and destruction spreading almost instantaneously as Riddler gloats how even evacuation won't be enough.
  • At one point, Selena is pinned down by one of Riddler's goons. Batman injects himself with adrenaline and is seen screaming in rage as he tackles the goon and beats the living FUCK out of him. And keeps going. And going. Good thing Gordon was there to snap him out of it.
• Pete Savage's death involves Riddler forcing him to be gnawed to death by rats. When Gordon shows Penguin a photo of the scene, the mobster is visibly horrified. The trap is especially disturbing considering that the rats had to go through a clear plastic maze to get to Savage's face, meaning that Savage had no choice but to wait, trapped, as the rats gradually puzzled their way through the maze, watching them moving closer and closer...
  • Even worse, examining the prototype rat maze Riddler developed in his apartment clearly shows one of the tubes ending at the victim's mouth.
  • Add to that, Savage was also injected with arsenic (rat poison) to make sure even the rats died eating from Savage.
• When Riddler has to tell Batman he missed the last and most important clue to his plan, Batman starts to get frantic and lose his patience as he demands to know what he did. Riddler's response? Singing Ave Maria while staring at Batman dead in the eyes.
  • This leads to Batman angrily yelling at him for answers while he punches the glass in front of him. Eddie isn't fazed by this at all.
• It turns out every one of Riddler's murders was a dark, ironic twist on how he was raised in the abandoned Wayne orphanage. The children would wake up screaming in the middle of the night because rats would gnaw at their fingers. Riddler even says ruefully that every winter it'd get so cold that it was guaranteed one of the babies would die.
• In the end, for the most part, the Riddler won. While he did fail in killing Bruce and Reál, he managed to carry out the rest of his mission. Gotham's in ruins, the major corrupt officials in power are dead, and the Falcone conspiracy is now out in the open, all while Batman and the police were getting strung along and inadvertently helping carry out his plans. All Batman could do was reduce the collateral damage brought on by the final phase of Riddler's scheme but the damage to Gotham was already done.
• The very end of the film is the Sequel Hook to end 'em all. After his stint in crime, the emotionally broken Riddler is sent to Arkham Asylum for an untold time... and he's got a cellmate. The cellmate isn't seen (very well), and he's only visible through a barred window, but you immediately realize who this is when he starts to laugh... and laugh, and laugh, and LAUGH.
  "What is it they say? One day, you're on top. The next, you're a clown."
• The death of Annika, Selina's roommate and friend/maybe-girlfriend whom she desperately tried to save. We only hear her final moments through Selina's voicemail, from her terrified pleas to Carmine to her bloodcurdling scream as she is slowly strangled to death, made worse by how flippant and unfeeling Carmine's voice sounds as he's doing it. And then he tries to do the same to Selina, even after discovering that she's his daughter.
  • Carmine Falcone's use of strangulation against women firmly puts him in deeply evil territory, even among his fellow gangsters. His murder of Annika and his attempt to murder Selina underscore just how brutal, physically overwhelming, and disturbingly slow such an attack is, especially when perpetrated against someone much physically smaller than himself, and he's not even that physically imposing or bulky. It casts a very grim light on the murder of Selina's mother — was this a case of Falcone coldly cleaning up an untidy loose end, was it murderous domestic violence, or was it both?
• This deleted scene finally reveals the Joker, and he might be one of the scariest depictions of the character yet. His skin is diseased-looking and pale, covered with scrapes and scars, his hair is in strange patchy tufts, and of course, he boasts a grotesque, too-wide smile that distorts his entire face. The camerawork only accentuates this, giving only blurred glimpses of his appearance as the Joker avoids answering Batman's questions, taunting Bruce by saying that on some level, he wants the freedom to kill Gotham's criminals like Riddler does, showing that much like his more recent incarnations, this Joker isn't just a maniacal killer, but someone who understands Batman on a psychological level.
  • His damaged and disfigured mouth also gives his voice a strange, lispy quality to it, akin to Heath Ledger's famous portrayal of the character, although even more pronounced to give off a child-like quality. Unlike him, this Joker has a deeper relationship with Batman, a deeper insight into what makes him tick than he's comfortable with, and for all his taunting, everything he says about Riddler's mindset is ultimately proven to be true by the climax. It's implied that he only brings up the angle that Riddler might have a grudge against Batman to screw with his perception of the case and the motives of the bespectacled killer, and likewise, show that he's dead-on about Batman's innermost thoughts that he won't even admit to.
    The Joker: I'll tell you what I really think. I think... You don't really care about his motives, whether he loves or hates you. I think... Somewhere, deep down, you're just terrified, cause you're not sure he's wrong. You think they deserved it... You think they deserved it! (devolves into gurgling, crazed laughter at Batman's silence)
  • A very small detail that can easily be overlooked, but when Joker returns the file to Batman, the paper clip that came with it initially is gone. Looks like this version of Arkham is about to develop its infamous reputation.
  • Much of the Joker's more grotesque attributes are in line with what a dip in chemicals strong enough to bleach human skin would leave a person looking like... but Word of God clarifies that this Joker didn't go through an acid bath. He was born like this. So imagine the pain a traditional Joker transformation would cause... now imagine living your entire life with that pain. It almost makes you feel sorry for the Clown Prince.

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