Whether you squirm at the thought of a scary movie, are sick of the clichés of the horror genre, or are just looking for something to watch that’ll put you in the Halloween spirit, you’ve come to the right place! Each day from now through Halloween day, I’ll post about a movie or TV show that is emblematic of the season, free of slashing, spurting, or exorcising. The only requirements are thus: it must be available on a major streaming service (Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, or Disney Plus), and it mustn’t be a well-known blockbuster. Sorry, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Entry 4- Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
I can see the readers’ eyes slowly rolling to the back of their heads, just at the movie title. “You really managed to work a superhero movie onto this list? Typical.” To that I would say don’t judge a book by its cover, because Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is anything but typical. Sure, it includes all of the lurking, grappling, and punching that we associate with the Batman character, but it also serves as an excellent, spooky mystery, thanks to both the foreboding villain and Batman’s internal struggle.
Mask of the Phantasm expertly weaves together a story of 2 minds: one part mystifying caper, one part Batman origin story. When a fog-covered phantom begins to prey upon Gotham’s elite, Batman bursts into action and begins to unravel the mystery of this nefarious killer. Along the way we see flashbacks of Bruce’s past and his path to become the caped crusader. These sequences play a role in the overarching plot, but most of their importance lie in their ability to inform the audience of Bruce’s pain and cause us to empathize with his inner turmoil. Chills, thrills, and reveals abound in arguably the most underrated Batman flick of all time.
Many a Batman movie has some level of mystery involved in its story, but it’s the villain of Mask fo the Phantasm that sets it apart as a great choice to watch around Halloween. The Phantom creeps about at night, stalking its prey; disappearing one moment, and then reappearing in front of its victim the next. Though not all that scary, The Phantom’s grim reaper-esque methods lend a definite creepy element to the film. On the flip side, we see Batman battle internal anxiety and even derangement, causing us to wonder if his crime fighting exploits are the only thing keeping his mind together, or if it’s the Batman persona itself that is driving him to the brink of madness. Whether you’re sick of the same old superhero fodder, or you cant get enough of the stuff, I strongly suggest that you set aside your preconceived notions and give the delightfully eerie Mask of the Phantasm a shot.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is streaming now on Netflix.
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