Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Batman (2022).
The Riddler as presented in Matt Reeves’ The Batman might not be to every Batman fan’s liking, especially traditionalists who reject reinventions of familiar icons. Paul Dano’s psychotic turn as a Zodiac-esque Riddler has no connection to any incarnation of the character from the comics – but that’s the beauty of it.
Like just about everything else in The Batman, Dano’s Riddler takes a grounded, realistic approach to an absurd component of the source material. This Riddler might be the most engaging (and certainly the most terrifying) live-action portrayal of the character to date.
It’s A Grounded Take On A Ridiculous Character
Like Robert Pattinson’s portrayal of Bruce Wayne as a socially awkward outsider and Colin Farrell’s portrayal of the Penguin as a low-level mafioso looking to increase his power, Dano’s Riddler filters a character who seems ridiculous on paper through a realistic context.
This Riddler doesn’t wear green spandex covered in question marks or announce his arrival at a crime scene with goofy theatrics. He’s a meticulous serial killer with delusions of grandeur.
The Riddler’s Murders Are Truly Unnerving
Reeves drew on his background in the horror genre to create genuine frights with the Riddler’s murders in The Batman. These sequences push the boundaries of the PG-13 rating more than anything else in the movie (and make Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder’s Batman movies look tame by comparison).
Dano’s Riddler lurks in the shadows, staring at his prey from afar, breathing heavily, before carrying out emotionless executions in a series of fiercely effective jump scares.
Dano Disappears Into The Role
Initially, this version of the Riddler seems to be the same wiry creep that Dano has played in a handful of recent crime thrillers, but this character is bolstered by a tragic self-awareness.
Dano has been a recognizable actor since his breakout turn as a moody teenager whose dreams are crushed in Little Miss Sunshine, but he disappears behind the psychotic, narrow purview of this maniacal character.
This Riddler Is Based On A Real Serial Killer
This Riddler is so terrifyingly realistic because he’s based on a real serial killer (who remains at large). Dano’s portrayal of the Riddler is modeled after the real-life Zodiac Killer more than any previous incarnation from the comics.
As a result, the Riddler isn’t a wacky comic book archetype; he’s a real-world serial killer. This take sheds the silliness of a green-spandex-clad puzzler with a haunting reminder of an actual murderer who left ciphers and riddles at the sites of his own unsolved murders.
His Reign Of Terror Has A Meaningful Purpose
What made The Dark Knight’s Joker such a great villain was that his reign of terror served a point that audiences found it tough to disagree with. His methods are questionable, but he makes a good point that civilization is just a facade covering up true human nature.
The Batman’s Riddler similarly makes a good point. Nobody would condone his grisly murders, but at the same time, he only targets public figures who abuse their power, take kickbacks from the mob, and allow crime and corruption to run rampant on the streets of Gotham.
His Riddles Formed The Basis For Batman’s First Full-Blown Detective Noir
One of the Bat’s nicknames in the comics is “World’s Greatest Detective,” but Batman movies tend to gloss over the character’s detective work because it’s not as fun to visualize as an arsenal of high-tech gadgets or a motorcycle hidden inside a car.
With The Batman, Reeves has finally put the Bat at the center of a hard-boiled detective noir storyline – and the Riddler’s curious trail of riddles provided the perfect basis for that investigation. It also provided the groundwork for a fun “buddy cop” dynamic between Batman and Jim Gordon.
He Forces Batman To Confront The Monster In Himself
The interrogation scene in The Batman might not be as iconic as the one from The Dark Knight, but it does create an interesting parallel between the Bat and the Riddler. The Riddler feels a kindred spirit in Batman, but much to his dismay, Batman disagrees. The Bat sees more of himself in the Riddler than he’d like to admit. It’s telling that Batman calls the Riddler “a pathetic psychopath,” then repeatedly punches a reflection of himself.
This dynamic is an interesting take on the “We’re not so different, you and I” hero-villain cliché, because the Riddler’s futile offer of friendship forces Batman to confront the monster within himself. After this pivotal encounter, the Bat reassesses the purpose of his vigilante crusade and accepts his role as a symbol of hope.
This Riddler Evokes A Couple Of Classic Horror Villains
This incarnation of the Riddler takes more influence from horror villains than other supervillains, with specific nods to Michael Myers, the baddie of the Halloween franchise, and the “Jigsaw” killer from the Saw series.
The opening scene of The Batman – shot from the killer’s point-of-view before a brutal murder on Halloween night – is a nod to the original Halloween movie, while Gil Colson’s collar bomb is a classic Jigsaw death trap.