Review: The Batman and Fresh

A Double Feature Review! Read More!

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The Batman (2022)

Actor Robert Pattinson as Batman

Writer-director Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022) is a force to be reckoned with. Fully alive and pulse-pounding, Reeves’ vision of the Caped Crusader is an astonishing comic book movie. This true detective storyline will rattle your bones. Actors Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, and Colin Farrell are all superb. And that score by composer Michael Giacchino: wow, what a rush! The Batman is one of the darkest and fiercest versions of Gotham's Dark Knight to ever be put up on the big screen. A gripping superhero noir that grabs ahold of you from the first frame, never letting go. Reeves (Cloverfield, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and War for the Planet of the Apes) masterfully crafts a gritty story that will eat your heart out. Drawing inspiration from 1970s cinema and Batman comics such as Year One (1987), The Long Halloween (1996–97), and Ego (2000), Reeves' vision of ambition and grit let loose.

Actors Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz as Batman and Catwoman.

Pattinson transforms into our vigilante in black, capturing Batman's soul with veracity and strength. Since 2019, when I heard that Pattinson was selected, I knew that Warner Bros. had made the right choice. Pattinson's incarnation is raw, moody, and even a little sexy. What also captured my attention was how the film heavily focused on Batman's detective skills. Drawing heavily from David Fincher films like Se7en (1995) or Zodiac (2007). We have seen Batman's detective side all throughout the comics, but that's not always the case for the movies. Kravitz gives the audience an electric portrayal as Selina Kyle, AKA Catwoman. Kravitz and Pattinson's chemistry will melt your heart away. Her fighting spirit as Selina is just as fierce as Michelle Pfeiffer's spirit was back in 1992 (Batman Returns, my favorite Batman film). While Wright and Farrell helped fill the supporting character slots with poise and duty as Lieutenant Gordon and Penguin. Dano is a wonder as the Riddler, letting his freak flag fly high. This version of the Riddler is incredibly scary and never-racking.

Reeves showcases the Riddler as a full-blown sociopath and serial killer. By doing it this way, The Batman's storyline will keep viewers on the edge of their seats and guessing what's around the corner. Our film is set two years after Batman has established himself as Gotham's crime-fighting vigilante. Batman is now uncovering the corruption in Gotham City while pursuing the Riddler, a new serial killer who is targeting the city's elites. Furthermore, Michael Giacchino's (Star Trek, Up, and War for the Planet of the Apes) enormous score was MVP for me after seeing this film on the big screen. Giacchino's soundtrack is a whirlwind of grandeur and emotion; by crafting the pulse-pounding beats and thrills through musical notes. It's definitely an award worthy score. Cinema at its finest, The Batman clocks in at 176 minutes, but I could have stayed for another hour. From the direction to the score to the dark cinematography, The Batman comes for vengeance and takes it. One of the best outings our Caped Crusader and his bruised soul have ever had on the big screen. What a picture.

Actors Zoë Kravitz and Robert Pattinson as Catwoman and Batman.

Here's my updated Batman ranked list: Click Here.

The Batman is rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned) Some Suggestive Material | Drug Content | Strong Disturbing Content | Strong Language | Strong Violent Content. 

Directed by Matt Reeves

Starring Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell.

Fresh

Actor Sebastian Stan

Director Mimi Cave's Fresh is a wild ride from start to finish. Provocative, gripping, and unsettling. Fresh will not be for everyone. Actor Sebastian Stan is a force unleashed, while actress Daisy Edgar-Jones delivers a cunning performance of her own. Bon appétit. Dating can be hard, and in an age where most of the dating is now done through apps like Tinder, it can also be scary. Cave uses these anxieties of dating to the fullest with satire and bloody horror. Fresh follows Noa (Edgar-Jones), who has become increasingly frustrated with dating apps. After she runs into an attractive man (Stan) named Steve in the grocery store, Noa decides to give him her number. Noa and Steve begin a romantic relationship not long after that encounter. Steve then invites Noa to come with him for a long weekend getaway.

Noa accepts but soon finds out that Steve has a taste for something dark and deadly. This is as far as I will go with the plot. Cave's directorial debut is provoking and nightmarish. It could easily leave some people with a bad taste in their mouth and running for the hills by the end. As for me, I ate this film and its story up fairly well. Through chaotic and pulsating thrills, Fresh will grab ahold of you, sending chills down your spine. Stan is fantastic as a man with dark desires, while Edgar-Jones' performance will fuel your bones with tension and anxiety. Grueling and brutal, Fresh comes with an appetite ready to scare. Fresh is a twisted horror-comedy that will get under one's skin from the beginning until the end. Plus, there's a killer dance-punk song (Heads Will Roll) by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs that blends so well with this movie. So dance the night away and let Fresh be your guess ready to serve: if you dare.

Actors Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones

Fresh is rated R (Restricted) For Strong and Disturbing Violent Content | Some Bloody Images | Language Throughout | Some Sexual Content and Brief Graphic Nudity.

Stream it now on Hulu.

Directed by Mimi Cave

Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, Jonica T. Gibbs, Charlotte Le Bon, Dayo Okeniyi, and Andrea Bang.