Editor’s Note: The following review has spoilers for “The Batman.”

Directed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson, “The Batman” is an unlikely kind of superhero film in today’s oversaturated market of formulaic superhero films. It presents a new and refreshing take to the Caped Crusader, this time in a much more horrific and complex world than we have seen before.

“The Batman” presents a hyper-modern depiction of the city of Gotham, which paints a larger picture into the underbelly which feeds the violence and terror it falls into. Pattinson’s Batman has been active for a short time, and the mysticism of his persona has caused a slight drop in crime ever since he started becoming the city’s vigilante. The film begins with the grisly murder of a mayoral candidate, which Batman investigates. As he uncovers a series of killings, he also finds what is truly behind the evil that Gotham holds.

Like many other die-hard Batman fans, I praise this shift in the hands-off approach that DC has taken in their last few projects. Over the last couple of years, the studio has finally started to see the rewards of letting individual directors do their thing. A good example of this is James Gunn’s revitalization of the Suicide Squad last year, which utilizes his unique style that doesn’t feel formulaic in the context of contemporary superhero movies.

The same can be said for Reeves, who has proven himself to be capable of managing the legacy of the Dark Knight and surpassing expectations of critics and fans alike by creating an immersive revitalization of DC’s iconic characters. “The Batman” feels significantly less like a blockbuster and more like a large-scale arthouse movie. Even creative aspects of the film that had to be cut for the sake of the film’s runtime, such as a deleted scene featuring Barry Keoghan’s Joker in his singularly terrifying appearance, speak volumes about the level of creativity and detail that made “The Batman” what it is.

One of the most noteworthy parts of “The Batman” is Paul Dano’s astounding performance as the Riddler. The baby-faced killer persona he has taken in the film is chilling and puts every audience member at the edge of their seats. Dano’s performance is indicative of his previous works in similar horror-adjacent genres like Denis Villeneuve’s “Prisoners” and the 2012 movie “Ruby Sparks,” where his acting essentially makes the audience feel uneasy.

Although “The Batman” moves DC two steps forward in the right direction, there are some parts that take it three steps back. While it’s an undeniable fact that Zoë Kravitz easily surpasses prior actresses in playing Selina Kyle as Catwoman, her character arc falls flat especially towards the latter half of the film. As expected of a film with a long runtime, the abundance of subplots becomes a double-edged sword. Some of them, like the Wayne family’s involvement with Gotham and the fraught relationship between Selina and her father, effectively contribute to the film’s richly detailed world-building. Others, however, fall under the weight of exposition and end up half-baked with no true resolution.

Overall, “The Batman” presents itself as a modern day classic for the superhero genre. It once again proves that fans and critics alike do not need the crutches of an overused formula in order to enjoy a superhero film. Reeves extracts amazing performances from his actors to create a beautifully horrid picture of Gotham and what lies beneath. Though the film has its share of drawbacks, its overall vision and execution is nothing short of brilliant.

“The Batman” is now showing in theaters.