The Batman debuted in theaters on March 4. It is a dark film–not only thematically, but visually as well. Everything is covered in shadow and darkness, and when you see color, it’s washed out and fleeting.
The visual style is a tribute to classic film noir: that hardboiled genre with long shadows, furtive glances, and gritty dialogue about lowlife gangsters and their untrustworthy dames. In this movie, Batman is less a classic action hero and more a brooding detective, who blurs the line between what makes a good cop and what makes a bad one. This is a young Batman who doesn’t yet have his moral compass–just an instinctual desire to “clean up the streets” and do more good than harm. He may not always do good. He may occasionally do harm. But he’s trying to be better, which makes him compelling.
Here are 17 references and Easter eggs you might have missed in The Batman, plus the end credits scene. Let us know in the comments if we missed any major ones.