“The Batman” is a dark, gritty detective story that is different from any other Batman movie you’ve seen. It shows Bruce Wayne, played by Robert Patterson still dealing with the grief of losing his parents; he’s anti-social, and perfectly awkward. While watching, I could see there was inspiration from the ‘90s animated show and other comics such as “Batman: Year One” and “Batman Ego and Other Tails.”

When “The Batman” was first announced and Robert Pattinson was cast, I had my doubts. DC hasn’t put out the best comic book movies in the last few years and it was disappointing. What also made me doubt this movie was that director Matt Reeves was doing a version of “The Long Halloween” comic, which has been used many times before––but I was wrong. This is one of the best comic book movies of all time.

In this rendition of the series, Batman is in the second year of his career with his only confidante being Lt. Jim Gordan, played by Jeffrey Wright. The dynamic between Gordan and Batman is considered the best on screen relationship they’ve had thus far, and it felt like the same one the characters had in the Arkham-verse video games. Robert Pattinson did a fantastic job at separating Bruce Wayne and Batman and his performance exceeded all my expectations.

The relationship between Batman and Selina Kyle/Catwoman, played by Zoë Kravitz, is very different than we’ve ever seen their relationship on screen before. They quickly get comfortable together and have an exciting partnership that intersects with what Riddler, played by Paul Dano, has planned for Gotham City.

A part I was particularly intrigued by was the background on the Wayne family, specifically Bruce’s parents Thomas and Martha. We learn more about their history with the city as well as Thomas Wayne’s short political career. It’s refreshing to not see them just get shot in an alley.

The corruption of the Gotham City Police Department and city officials runs deep––classic Gotham. At times, it felt like Gordan stands alone in being a good cop and not corrupt, which is why Batman trusts him so much. Of course, all the corruption is thanks to crime boss Carmine Falcone, played by John Turturro, who has had control over everything in Gotham City for years. The star villain Riddler, played by Paul Dano, exposes Gotham’s darkest secrets in a dramatic way. Dano’s performance was another stand out for me, and I hope we see the character again.

You absolutely must go see this movie on the biggest screen possible. This theater experience was one of my favorites. You could feel that everyone in the audience was on the edge of their seats and fully invested in the story. This movie restarted the love I had for the character as a child, which I lost a few years ago, and I’m so glad it has. It left me wanting more and I can’t wait to see what the Reeves/Pattinson era of Batman has in store.