Batman has undergone a lot of changes over the course of his cinematic appearances, but one thing that often appears in his films is deep, intense horror, as seen in these haunting scenes. Batman first appeared in Detective Comics back in 1939, and ever since, the character’s tone has been darker than his comic book peers.

But there is also no doubt that the character has ventured further into the world of horror since his debut. Both in terms of his appearances in comics, and in live-action projects. With that in mind, it’s interesting to see how the live-action theatrical Batman movies have introduced aspects of horror, and how that’s evolved over time.

The Joker Is Born In The Death Of Jack Napier

In 1989, the first Batman movie directed by Tim Burton provided a drastic departure from earlier interpretations of the character as seen on the big and small screens up to that point. The most iconic of which was Adam West’s Batman live-action series, which also included a direct to TV film.

The biggest difference was the way Gotham was presented, leaning into Burton’s signature thrilling style that added quirkiness and darkness that made it feel detached from the real world. But building on that, Burton also wanted to add a signature alteration to the story, which is where Jack Nicholson’s Joker comes in.

Throughout the history of the comics, the Joker has had a variety of origin stories, but the character remains largely ambiguous and unknown. But in Burton’s story, he starts life as a low-life thug known as Jack Napier. Jack is responsible for shooting Bruce Wayne’s parents ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, and eventually, he is transformed into the Joker.

This occurs in a tense and terrifying scene where Jack ends up scarred and injured, before falling into a vat of acid, and being permanently changed. However, it is, like the rest of the film, played out as slightly more campy than later iterations.

Catwoman’s Death Is Particularly Frightening

Similarly, in Batman Returns, Burton leans into the quirky and outlandish nature of the characters and stories. Despite this, there is a scene that stands out as particularly intense, when Selina Kyle is brutally thrust out of a window by her employer, Max Schreck.

But things get even wilder when Selina’s broken body slumps out of the ally, signifying the start of her journey to becoming the mysterious supernatural thief, Catwoman. It’s an intense way to kick off the film, and Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken’s performances sell it extremely well.

Two-Face Causes The Death Of The Flying Graysons

Moving on to the Joel Schumacher era of Batman movies with Batman Forever, where again, an impressive actor is cast in the role of the antagonist as Tommy Lee Jones embraces the role of Two-Face. And in one particularly twisted scene, Two-Face shows up at a circus where The Flying Graysons are performing.

In this scene, Two-Face causes general fear and havoc, as a two-minute timer on a mᴀssive bomb threatens everyone present, but ultimately, the victims that night are the entire family of Dick Grayson, who lay ᴅᴇᴀᴅ on the ground as the scene comes to a close.

It’s a traumatic moment for Dick, and that emotion carries through to the audience as this young man embarks on a journey that will see him transformed into another dark vigilante fighting by Batman’s side.

Poison Ivy Drains The Life Out Of A Doctor

Batman & Robin rounds out this era of the Batman stories and returns to an altogether more campy and goofy style for this final outing from Schumacher. The film again pulls in some A-List talent to tackle the role of the villains, with Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze, and Uma Thurman in the role of Poison Ivy.

While the movie is generally devoid of any deep emotional exploration, and often criticized for missing the mark in numerous ways, from the costumes, to the character depictions and so on, there are still some chilling scenes.

For instance, when the harmless Pamela Isley is transformed into Poison Ivy, she first seeks out revenge against Dr. Woodrue, played by John Glover. In a moment that is played out as seductive, she murders Dr. Woodrue by poisoning him before wreaking havoc on Gotham.

Batman Seen Through Scarecrow’s Fear Toxin Is Exactly As Horrifying As You’d Expect

When Christopher Nolan took the reins directing a Batman trilogy, the tone got considerably darker. From the city of Gotham becoming a cesspit of crime and delinquency, to the introduction of terrifying mob bosses and supervillains.

Batman Begins showcased the darker side of these stories best with Dr. Jonathan Crane, aka Scarecrow, played by Cillian Murphy, who developed a fear toxin capable of trapping people inside their worst nightmares, and causing terrible panic and distress.

While Scarecrow is extremely terrifying in his own right, when the film sees the Batman engage in a final conflict with Crane, the toxin was used on the doctor, causing him to see the Batman as a horrifying nightmare creature in a scene fit for a horror film.

The Joker’s Hostage Recording Is Genuinely Horror Movie Material

The following entry in the trilogy, The Dark Knight, saw one of the best portrayals of a villain of all time, with Heath Ledger tackling the role of the Joker. Throughout the movie, he has several iconic scary scenes, from putting a pencil into a guard’s head, to tossing ᴅᴇᴀᴅ bodies at windows, but one scene in particular feels horrifying.

At one point in the film, the Joker takes a hostage, and has the unfortunate victim record a message to try and entice Batman to come out and play. This scene is haunting, with the Joker breaking tradition and playfully engaging with the camera, showing a general disregard for rules or caution.

The result is one of the most tense scenes in a Batman movie to date, which helps to establish this film as one of the best entries in the history of the character’s filmography.

Bruce Wayne Is Trapped In The Pit

The Dark Knight Rises serves as the final entry in The Dark Knight trilogy. In this film, Bane, played by Tom Hardy, serves as a major antagonist, and his conflicts with Batman lead to some truly chilling moments.

For instance, there is a scene in the film where Bane introduces Bruce Wayne to the pit where he was raised, and Bruce finds himself trapped here while trying to fight to get out. As the hero of the story, the audience is concerned about his well-being, and it appears as though he might fall to his death.

Tonally, it isn’t necessarily a step up from the previous film in terms of horror, but the fear factor of this moment is still impactful and tense.

The Knightmare Brings Batman’s Worst Fears To Life

Next, we have the DCEU’s attempts to build out a Batman story, though Ben Affleck’s Dark Knight was not afforded the chance to have a solo story. Instead, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice pits Batman against a twisted version of Superman who is consumed by darkness.

Or at least, that is largely a fear that Batman has after suffering the tragic loss of friends like Robin, which leads to the belief that Superman’s power makes him too dangerous for the world. But it’s brought to vivid life in the Knightmare scene.

Here, Batman sees Superman take on the role of an omnipotent dictator, ruling with an iron fist, and freely doling out death to whomever he deems unworthy. It’s horrifying, and only ends as Batman has his heart ripped out of his own chest.

The Riddler’s Funeral Hostage Cements Him As A Villain

But by far, the most intense and grotesque iteration of a Batman story has to be Matt Reeves’ take on the Gotham Guardian as seen in The Batman. This iteration of Gotham is not just steeped in corruption, but it is overwhelmed and overrun by the twisted and immoral figures that rule over the city.

And in response to that grotesque corruption and greed, a man seeks to follow Batman’s lead, and get justice for himself. However, the way that the Riddler chooses to right wrongs results in death and terrible destruction, and thus puts him at odds with the man he thinks of as an ally.

Early in the film, the Riddler brutally murders a politician in his own home, while his wife and child lay sleeping. But later, at the funeral, the Riddler once again intercedes by sending a hostage rigged with explosives and a muzzle.

Riddler is a haunting villain, played by Paul Dano to perfection, who further establishes the world of Batman and Gotham as one of the darkest and most terrifying to be adapted from the pages of the comics.