Exploring the reference to the Zodiac Killer in ‘The Batman’
After Ben Affleck’s inadequate rendition of the quasi-mythological figure of the Batman, many fans were concerned about the future of the superhero franchise. However, it is safe to say that Robert Pattinson and Matt Reeves have taken a step in the right direction with their 2022 neo-noir interpretation of Batman’s struggles.
Visually influenced by the likes of Michael Mann, The Batman was a refreshing respite from the barrage of uninspired superhero flicks that constantly flood the market. While Reeves cited Alfred Hitchcock and the American New Wave as sources of inspiration, The Batman’s narrative was also modelled after the Zodiac Killer.
During a conversation with MovieMaker, Reeves explained that he wanted his version of The Batman to be a detective story instead of a simple action flick. In addition to the neo-noir tropes injected into the spirit of the film, Reeves managed to highlight genre hybridity by playing around with horror and thriller frameworks.
Reeves said: “This idea of a place that is corrupt, and you try to swim against the tide in order to fight against it and make a difference, is quintessential Batman. And at the centre of those noir stories is almost always the detective, right? And that’s why he is the world’s greatest detective. And so this story is, in addition to being almost a horror movie, and a thriller, and an action movie, at its core, it’s also very much a detective story.”
Anyone who has seen The Batman will immediately draw a connection between the Zodiac Killer and Paul Dano’s Riddler. While the cryptic cyphers are a dead giveaway, Reeves wanted Dano’s antagonist to possess the mysterious and frightening aura of the unidentified serial killer who managed to terrify the entire world.
While talking about the connection, Reeves explained: “The premise of the movie is that the Riddler is kind of moulded in an almost Zodiac Killer sort of mode, and is killing very prominent figures in Gotham, and they are the pillars of society. These are supposedly legitimate figures. It begins with the mayor, and then it escalates from there.”
The Batman is clearly the work of a filmmaker who is deeply in love with cinema. Ranging from references to Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low to Roman Polanski’s Chinatown, Reeves’ vision of The Batman is a promising precursor to the future of the Robert Pattinson era.
