Watch These Movies to Get Ready for The Batman

The release of a new Marvel or DC movie sometimes prompts newcomers and those with a curiosity to seek out a list like this, a viewing order or guide to preceding movies that will make the new one make the most sense. For The Batman though this is an all-new iteration of DC Comics’ Dark Knight detective and not one that explicitly requires the viewing of movies that precede it in the timeline. That said, if your hype levels are off the charts or you just want to know what you’re in for tonally, we’ve got a curated selection of movies you should watch to prepare for The Batman.

The brainchild of filmmaker Matt Reeves, who has made his influences for the new film very clear and many of which we’ve included below, The Batman is a film that blends its influences with the comic book aesthetic to a T. Ranging from recent hits that offer a unique perspective on some of film’s cast to older films that clearly influenced the tone of the new movie, we’ve programmed a selection of films that evoke the same mood, style, and characterizations that the cast and crew of The Batman were aiming for in the film. For this we’ve taken into account not only the movies that Reeves’ himself has mentioned but others with a similar vibe and spirit as The Batman seems to have. Dig into the DNA of The Batman with our curated list below!

All the President’s Men

Alan J. Pakula’s adaptation of the Woodward and Bernstein book is as methodical as it is engaging. Not missing a beat and managing to wring tension out of newsroom shouting matches and courtroom documents, the film delivers a dynamic narrative about the untangling of corruption and the outside perspective of how it works toward self-preservation. The Batman‘s storyline seems to be entrenched in Gotham City corruption with The Riddler’s plans bringing it all to light. Director/co-writer Matt Reeves has also specifically shouted it out as a major inspiration.

All the President’s Men is streaming now on HBO Max.

Chinatown

Roman Polanski’s noir-thriller written byRobert Towne has one of the best screenplays in Hollywood history and part of that is the level of depth and detail put into its central mystery. It also has the advantage of letting the audience and the lead be on the same page with every new turn and clue. There’s also the notable downer of an ending that wraps the entire thing up, leaving plot threads astray and an uppercut of a final line that could be what Reeves is preparing to give us in the final moments of his Batman movie: a bummer to walk out on.

Chinatown is now streaming on HBO Max.

The French Connection

Bat-fans may recall Christopher Nolan deliberately calling out William Friedkin’s film as an influence on his own DC movies, and Reeves has said the same thing. Though modern audiences will likely balk at the 1971 movie’s version of a police officer that acts like he’s above the law, The French Connection is a portrait of a man (Gene Hackman’s Popeye Doyle) with a righteous thirst for vengeance whose drive is fueled by anger and a passion for justice with a chip on his shoulder. Sound familiar? There’s also, naturally, the killer car chases.

The French Connection is streaming on Hulu and Paramount+.

Good Time

On the off chance that you haven’t seen the film, and on the off-chance you’re not entirely convinced that Robert Pattinson was the right pick for Batman, this is the one for you. The crime-thriller from Josh and Benny Safdie is an adrenaline fueled panic, a run through the streets where the chances to catch your breath are just as deadly as the encounters with the police; and none of it would work without Pattinson’s dynamite performance.

Good Time is streaming on Showtime.

Klute

Alan J. Pakula’s detective story was specifically mentioned by Reeves as influencing how he wrote the relationship between Catwoman and Batman for his new film. The central relationship in the movie is Donald Sutherland’s John Klute, a detective looking for an old friend, and Jane Fonda’s Bree Daniels, a call girl looking for a new path in life. The pair have this magnetic attraction to each other which can’t even fully be explained by either of them, resulting in conflicted feelings and an urge to bolt by Bree. Fonda’s Oscar winning performance is the glue that holds this film together but it’s not hard to see how this ill-fated pairing became a blueprint for Bat-Cat.

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck

Brett Morgen’s documentary is one of the most honest depictions of a subject ever seen. Composed mostly from actual personal home videos and audio records of the late singer/songwriter, Montage of Heck digs into the minutia of Kurt Cobain’s addiction struggles, troubles with celebrity, and how the root of it all stems from early tragedy at home. Persons unfamiliar with the explosive output of Nirvana should seek out the music but also consider this a direct look in the mind of Cobain, a figure that Reeves’ has said directly influenced his take on Bruce Wayne.

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck is streaming on HBO Max.

Prisoners

Denis Villeneuve’s 2013 thriller is so startlingly bleak that it’s easy to forget it stars Mr. Music (Jake Gyllenhaal) and The Greatest Showman (Hugh Jackman). Telling the devastating story of a pair of missing children and the lengths that a father will go to get them back, Prisoners puts on layers of mystery as it continues to unfold with its third act delivering a gut punch that can be felt in your teeth. Central to the film’s big mystery, and its puzzling clues throughout, is a unique performance that only one Paul Dano could deliver, making this the most likely movie to scratch your Riddler itch.

Prisoners is streaming now on Hulu.

Rear Window

There’s a reason you’re going to hear about Hitchcock, and specifically this movie, in every film studies course around the globe. It takes a million decisions to make any movie and not only does Rear Window make all of them correctly it’s so confident in its style that it’s flaunting to you how good it is right in front of you. Beyond James Stewart and Grace Kelly’s tremendous performances, Rear Window is a masterclass in staging that is the only proof you need that Hitchcock was indeed the master. Intertwining its own character study with a deeply disturbing mystery, one that could go any way at any point, it’s no wonder Reeves himself spotlights Hitchcock’s works as an influence on The Batman.

Se7en & Zodiac

Two of David Fincher’s serial killer-themed movies not only make for the ultimate Feel Bad Double Feature, but also clearly inspired The Batman‘s depiction of an investigation into a bizarre, clue-leaving killer. Se7en‘s dynamic of old-cop and new-cop makes for a unique pairing that seemingly influenced a “Year Two” era Batman. Zodiac on the other hand is about how the relentless pursuit of a killer, or really anything, can lead to the downfall of everything around you. Not to mention that The Batman‘s interpretation of The Riddler was directly influenced by the California serial killer. 

Se7en is now streaming on Hulu.

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Joseph Sargent’s masterful thriller delivers everything you could ask for from a 1970s New York City caper. The main plan the thieves have for this incredible heist is based around the layers of bureaucracy entrenched in NYC and which feels like something that Matt Reeves took to heart in crafting The Batman‘s narrative. Robert Shaw and Walter Matthau deliver career defining performances here as well, plus there’s a Batman connection as the late Lee Wallace played the mayor in both Pelham and Tim Burton’s Batman.

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is streaming free on Tubi.

War for the Planet of the Apes

Matt Reeves’ previous film was also his most ambitious and frankly the best in the entire Planet of the Apes franchise. What the film brought was gravitas and grit to the series, doubling down on his methodical allegories that he started with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Young film fans eager to break into the oeuvre of Reeves’ should start with his Apes movies, but War seems to be the most in-line tonally with The Batman.