Robert Pattinson dons the cowl of the Dark Knight in the forthcoming DC epic, The Batman. In Matt Reeves' eagerly anticipated comic book movie, Pattinson's Bruce Wayne is in his second year of crime-fighting as Batman. For that reason, he hasn't yet mastered his inherent rage, although this is ably exploited in order to strike fear into the hearts of Gotham City's criminals. When a new psychopath emerges in the form of Edward Nashton aka The Riddler (Paul Dano), Batman is put to the test like never before.
Co-starring Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon and Andy Serkis as Alfred, The Batman is one of 2022's most exciting propositions. And if you're of the opinion that Pattinson is still defined by the Twilight movies, then think again. Scroll down to discover his eight greatest roles, each of which proves he has the requisite intensity and focus to portray the Caped Crusader.
1. Cosmopolis (2012)
In the first of his two collaborations with body horror master David Cronenberg, Pattinson ably sheds his sparkly Twilight iconography. Cronenberg's inscrutable and challenging adaptation of Don DeLillo's novel casts Pattinson as a venal young billionaire whose otherwise standard commute in his plush limousine acts as a one-way journey into a philosophical hell. It's not an easy film to appreciate but it more than demonstrates Pattinson's brave willingness to grapple with unreadable, and often downright unpleasant, characters.
2. The Rover (2014)
One can practically taste the Aussie Outback dirt between their teeth in this gritty slice of post-apocalyptic drama. Pattinson is convincingly scuffed and grungy, yet also sympathetic, playing a naive outsider opposite Guy Pearce's wilderness-hardened survivor. As the film's poster makes clear, Pattinson is more than willing to get his hands dirty, portraying a character who is frequently victimised in the midst of a harsh landscape.
3. The Lost City of Z (2017)
Charlie Hunnam portrays the famed 20th-century explorer Percy Fawcett in James Gray's atmospheric colonial adventure, but Pattinson is the one who quietly steals the show. As Fawcett's quirky yet observant aide-de-camp Henry Kostin, Pattinson cemented his ability to invest supporting characters with a memorable amount of inner-life. It may be about the search for a fabled South American city, but really we find ourselves scrutinising every inch of Pattinson's intriguing portrayal.
4. Good Time (2017)
Pattinson's most transformative role to date came in this pounding and relentless thriller from the Safdie brothers (later to direct Uncut Gems). Nary a trace of Twilight remains in Pattinson's portrayal of a scuzzy New York robber, one who is nevertheless motivated by good intentions to liberate his mentally disabled brother (played by co-director Benny Safdie). The movie turns the screw at every turn, and Pattinson's escalating desperation remains compelling throughout.
5. High Life (2019)
French director Claire Denis revels in the provocative and the uncomfortable. This glacial and eerie sci-fi drama is a case in point, showcasing another bravely enigmatic performance from Pattinson as an astronaut who's bound for the unknown, but at the same time is very much anchored by Earthbound concerns of sexuality and identity. With its memorably graphic imagery (chiefly an isolation chamber designed solely for sexual pleasure), the film rests on Pattinson's ability to transform inscrutability into human interest.
6. The Lighthouse (2020)
Let's face it, we were all shaken to the core by the intensity of Pattinson's performance in this operatically overcooked horror pastiche. The Witch director Robert Eggers uncorks a blend of paranoid atmosphere and gallows humour in this black and white, 19th-century-set tale of two warring lighthouse keepers. Holding his own against the more experienced scene-stealer Willem Dafoe, Pattinson keeps us guessing with subtle body language inflections and accent changes, forcing us to question the very fabric of the film's ostensible reality.
7. Tenet (2020)
Christopher Nolan's mind-melting, extravagantly mounted espionage thriller attempts to make mainstream the concept of entropy, as in the flow of energy from one source to another. It's all highly confusing, even when one considers Nolan's back catalogue, but fortunately, Pattinson is on hand to inject some wry humour as a vaguely dissolute, Graham Greene-esque secret agent. Does that end reveal signal another movie between himself and co-star John David Washington? We'd like to see that.
8. The Devil All the Time (2020)
This deep-fried, Deep South-set may be Tom Holland's movie, but the scenery is gobbled up entirely by Robert Pattinson. He plays a creepy, perverse preacher in this intentionally overwrought saga of family demons and personal reckoning, clearly relishing the opportunity to portray the most diabolical figure in a twisted tapestry of miscreants. Once again, Twilight will be the last thing on your mind when you see it.
Click here to book your tickets for The Batman, which opens in Cineworld cinemas on 4th March. What is your favourite Robert Pattinson performance? Let us know @Cineworld.
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