9 Scariest Things That Happened In The Batman, Ranked
Director Matt Reeves promised a different interpretation of Gotham City in The Batman and certainly delivered on this in the final product. The story sees Batman chase after The Riddler, who’s portrayed as a vigilante serial killer in this version and causes mayhem around the city.
Riddler brought several moments where he could qualify as a dangerous and scary villain, but he wasn’t the only one who brought the horror element. Batman himself and a few other scenes are responsible for turning up the fear factor in the movie, and it’s worth looking into them since they prove there’s a lot of potential for a dark take on DC Comics in this particular universe.
9 Edward Nashton's Reveal Of His Master Plan
There are many iconic Riddler comics in the Batman series, but Paul Dano’s version might be the most distinct for the way he felt like a horror movie villain. The reveal of his master plan was similarly scary since it placed everything that happened into a frightening context.
It turned out that Nashton had planned for Batman to be in Arkham with him because the rest of Gotham was supposed to be flooded to disastrous lengths. Viewers were meant to be horrified by the realization that Batman was fooled the entire time and there would be massive casualties to follow.
8 The Police's Pursuit Of Batman
The police department was arguably the most corrupt it’s ever been depicted in any Batman media. It was to the point where they wanted to eliminate the Caped Crusader altogether, as seen when Gordon created a distraction for Batman to escape the police force who were out to get him.
It’s extremely rare to see Batman in retreat, who was clearly fearing for his life as he fled from the onslaught of armed men in pursuit. Moreover, the flight sequence that followed showed the scene from Batman’s point of view, which made the possibility of him hurtling to his death all too real.
7 Batman's Emergence From The Fire
Calling himself “vengeance” summed up Batman’s personality in the movie, at least before he realized he had to be a hero. The best personification of the fear factor Batman commanded when he emerged from the explosion that Penguin thought had killed him, looking a reaper about to claim a soul.
The music and cinematography made Batman’s presence look extremely foreboding, as if he had bad intentions for his victim. The scary quality was enhanced by Penguin being the point of view character since Batman was seen from an upside-down angle with the fire raging behind him.
6 Gil Colson's Arrival At The Funeral
There was hardly any discernible dialogue at the funeral before Gil Colson’s car came crashing through, yet it heightened the tension in great ways. Bruce was shown looking apprehensive, as if he could sense something disastrous was about to take place, with the noise around him enveloping the room to make viewers feel Bruce’s paranoia.
The crash through the church served to split the scene into its second phase, as Colson emerged with his mouth taped shut and a bomb strapped to him. It felt like a scene straight out of a horror movie, especially after The Riddler’s chilling message that promised Colson would die soon.
5 The Debut Of The Joker
The stage is set for The Joker to appear in The Batman’s sequel after he debuted at the climax of this movie. The character is arguably the scariest Batman character overall and he arrived by using his skills of manipulation to make Nashton believe they were friends.
The Joker’s partially hidden appearance, raspy voice, and malicious laughter all contributed to his scary aspect, which is certain to be elaborated upon in the next movie. It was a reminder to viewers that this version of Gotham City was going to be a lot more terrifying than previous ones and that Nashton was only the beginning.
4 Batman's Realization That The Riddler's Cult Is Inspired By Him
There were several notable quotes by The Riddler in The Batman, which were eventually revealed to be a clue toward his obsession for the Dark Knight. Batman didn’t pick up on that until the climax when he reacted with horror to words by Riddler’s goon, who claimed he was “vengeance.”
It placed things into a chilling context that Batman and Riddler are essentially two sides of the same coin since both used brutality for vigilantism. More than that, Batman realized he had cultivated such a fearful reputation that people like Riddler considered fear to be humanity’s greatest condition, killing people in Batman’s name.
3 Alfred's Near-Fatal Explosion
Although this version of Alfred was the first time that fans had seen him, the character himself is a beloved part of the Batman universe. For this reason, it was heart-thumping to see the possibility that Alfred could be executed when he opened Riddler’s explosive.
Matt Reeves’ direction was such that the scene highlighted the chance of Alfred’s demise, as Batman barrelled through Gotham to try and intercept the package, only to learn that Alfred had already been caught in the explosion. The scary element here was delivered by playing to the audience’s affection for Alfred and sharing Bruce’s fear for his demise.
2 The Reveal Of Edward Nashton As The Riddler
Rarely has the simple matter of revealing the villain seemed so frightening, yet Edward Nashton’s capture was just that. It became scary due to the fact that Nashton looked so unassuming after spending the entire movie in a gaunt and intimidating appearance, along with a voice modulator.
Nashton’s true appearance was like an average person, which was somehow worse since it drove home the idea that anyone could have been him. It served to make the entirety of Gotham’s citizens look like a threat because Nashton could easily blend in a crowd, yet wreak such levels of havoc.
1 The Riddler's Elimination Of The Mayor
The opening of The Batman had The Riddler stalk the mayor of the city right at his residence, showing up from behind in his costume. Batman movies always began either with the hero’s exploits or with a shot of the Waynes’ demise, so watching a straight-up murder was the last thing most would have expected.
The Riddler has also traditionally been a campy villain who isn’t considered scary, yet he was shown in a dark get-up capturing a victim and killing him in a savage way. Had the film not been a Batman feature, it could easily have qualified as a scene for horror movies along the lines of Se7en or Saw.