Robert Eggers Saw The Batman For His Friend Robert Pattinson, But Actually Kind Of Liked It
Please stop asking filmmakers what they think about superheroes. For the love of anything you want, find new questions to ask them — maybe something about the movie they just made. We don't need to know what Clint Eastwood thinks of "Captain Marvel," or what Ryusuke Hamaguchi thought of "Spider-Man: No Way Home."
But, you know what? If you're going to insist in asking filmmakers about movies they had nothing to do with, make sure you ask unique, weird filmmakers about the weirdest possible superhero movies that sort of resemble their work — or are at least comparable. Case in point, Robert Eggers saw "The Batman," and he actually kind of liked it.
Talent recognize talent
During an interview with The Guardian to promote "The Northman," Robert Eggers said he doesn't really watch superhero movies, but he did make an exception for "The Batman."
"I saw it really just because Rob [Pattinson] is my friend. But I liked it, and I learned a lot of stuff from it, frankly. I applaud Matt Reeves for keeping an identity and making a film like that. I can't imagine. I guess I just made a big movie, but it's not the same."
Eggers, of course, directed Pattinson in what is still one of his best movies: "The Lighthouse." That weird film about two men, played by Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, features a slow descent into madness, as well as conversations about everything from lobster to mermaids. It's a film that rests entirely on the shoulders of its main actors, and thankfully, Pattinson and Dafoe are phenomenal, equal parts endearing and mad, off-putting while enthrallingly charming. Still, the harsh weather conditions and the long monologues aren't easy to work with, so it's no wonder Pattinson had a horrible time making the film.
So it makes sense that Eggers would applaud "The Batman" since that film is just as weird as one of Eggers'. Really, from every choice Paul Dano makes, to the particular humor of every scene Penguin is in, "The Batman," is just as funny as "The Lighthouse" in a bizarre way.
Still, don't expect Eggers to make the jump to big studio movies anytime soon, though he has heard from the big names. "I've definitely had, like, not Marvel, but the big studio meeting," Eggers continued. "But I also don't know what I have to offer. Everything that I'm particularly good at, or that makes me unique, is not helpful in making a Marvel movie."
As for Pattinson, rest assure that he is not letting one Bat-movie to stop him from going back to weird movies. Better yet, it seems his dream of doing arthouse porn is alive and well.
"The Northman" will raid theaters on April 22, 2022.