The Batman is the first solo film featuring the Caped Crusader since Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises — here’s how violent and gory it is. DC’s live-action adaptations, including The Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League, have received R-ratings over the last couple of years, seemingly ushering in a more violent, curse-fueled era for the slate of WB films. While The Batman isn’t rated R, the film is fairly dark and gruesome in its own ways.
Directed by Matt Reeves from a screenplay by him and Peter Craig, The Batman follows the title hero (Robert Pattinson) as he investigates a series of murders committed by a masked villain calling himself The Riddler (Paul Dano). With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and cat burglar/waitress Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Batman attempts to uncover the truth behind Riddler’s motives before he claims another victim, but he isn’t ready for the revelations that emerge or just how far the city’s corruption goes.
The Batman is rated PG-13 for violence and disturbing content, but it’s fairly light on gore. There is little, if any, blood to be found throughout the film, save for a couple of instances of dried blood at a crime scene or on someone’s face. The Batman, however, is pretty gruesome in its depiction of violence and dark themes. However, while the Riddler commits heinous acts and the Caped Crusader brutally punches people in fights throughout The Batman, the more violent parts of the film are not shown onscreen. When the Riddler is, very obviously, about to torture people, the camera pans away, leaving the brutal details to the audience’s imagination. There is a car chase scene where people’s cars crash and that gets pretty intense, an explosion, as well as a few fight scenes and moments ahead of Riddler’s murders that get uncomfortably dark. So while the detailed violence doesn’t make it to the screen, there is still plenty of it.
Is The Batman Child-Friendly?
The Batman is not child friendly. The film is a very hard PG-13 that is arguably closer to being rated R than PG. Even though it doesn’t show the killings, The Batman still contends with torture, murder, a serial killer, and some pretty strong violent moments. It’s grisly and depressing, and is certainly more suited for an adult audience than for children. The superhero film is likely best for those who are 13-years-old and over (15+ in the UK). The decision to see the movie may all depend on whether parents — or any adult bringing younger members of the audience to the theaters — are comfortable doing so.
The film is grim and incredibly dark — perhaps darker than previous Batman films. That’s the most important thing to know about it going in. The Riddler is as, if not more, terrifying than the Joker in The Dark Knight and the story deals with some pretty heavy themes and character arcs. The physical violence is very much a part of the film, but The Batman is bleak because of the story elements it deals with more than anything.
