On Halloween night in Gotham City, a grim and restless urban sprawl riddled with crime and decay, the city's fragile peace shatters. The camera sweeps through darkened streets splattered with graffiti and punctuated by violent robberies, setting a tone of pervasive menace. At a subway station, a group of clown-faced thugs mercilessly beat a businessman. Suddenly, Batman emerges from the shadows, his presence as brutal as it is silent. With fierce precision, he dismantles the attackers, his fists and gadgets leaving no doubt about his relentless resolve. This is Bruce Wayne's Gotham, and for two years he has been its dark guardian, a figure as feared by criminals as he is misunderstood by the police.

Lieutenant James Gordon arrives at the subway station, his face grave. He calls Batman to a new crime scene--Mayor Don Mitchell Jr. has been found murdered in his own home. The mayor's body is grotesquely staged: duct-taped with the words "No more lies" scrawled across his face, his thumb severed and missing. The killer has left a cryptic riddle: "What does a liar do when he's dead?" The answer, "He lies still," is a chilling message from the Riddler, a serial killer whose cryptic puzzles and brutal murders are shaking Gotham to its core.

Bruce Wayne, in his Batcave beneath Wayne Tower, pores over clues. His analytical mind dissects the riddles, employing forensic science and cryptography. This Batman is not just a brawler but a detective, unraveling the twisted mind behind the killings. Meanwhile, Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce's loyal butler and guardian, tends to Wayne Manor, embodying the steadfast support behind the vigilante's crusade. But the Riddler's reach is long and dangerous: Alfred is soon hospitalized after opening a letter bomb sent to Bruce, a grim reminder of the stakes involved.

The city's underworld stirs in the shadows of the Iceberg Lounge, a nightclub run by Oswald Cobblepot, known as the Penguin. Penguin is a lieutenant under the crime boss Carmine Falcone, whose corrupt empire permeates Gotham's institutions. Selina Kyle, a waitress at the Iceberg Lounge, moves with a quiet grace, her sharp eyes and guarded demeanor hinting at a deeper story. She will soon become both an ally and a complicated love interest for Batman.

The investigation deepens as the Riddler strikes again, killing Police Commissioner Pete Savage the night after the mayor's murder. His body, too, bears a message for Batman, a taunt wrapped in riddles. At the mayor's funeral, the Riddler abducts District Attorney Gil Colson, strapping a timed collar bomb to his neck. Colson is forced to answer riddles over the phone, but when he refuses to reveal the name of a mysterious informant who helped bring down mob boss Salvatore Maroni, the bomb detonates, killing him in a horrifying spectacle.

Batman and Gordon piece together the corruption threading through Gotham's elite. They discover that Mayor Mitchell, Commissioner Savage, and DA Colson were all on Falcone's payroll, puppets in a vast criminal network. A thumb drive found in the mayor's car reveals incriminating photos of Mitchell with Annika Kosolov, a woman linked to the criminal underworld and the Iceberg Lounge. Annika's disappearance and subsequent murder--her body found in a car trunk at the Iceberg Lounge--further entwine the city's political corruption with its criminal underbelly.

Selina Kyle, driven by her own motives, infiltrates the Iceberg Lounge seeking answers. She discovers Annika's corpse, a moment charged with raw emotion and danger. Batman pursues the Penguin in a tense car chase, capturing him only to learn that he is not the informant who betrayed Maroni's operation. The true informant remains a mystery, deepening the intrigue.

The Riddler's vendetta is personal and devastating. His encrypted video, discovered in his apartment, reveals a man consumed by hatred for the Wayne family. He accuses Bruce's father, Thomas Wayne, of complicity in Gotham's decay, alleging that Thomas hired Falcone to silence a journalist exposing Martha Wayne's family history of mental illness. Alfred insists Thomas only intended to threaten the journalist; Falcone's murder of the man was a brutal escalation. Alfred believes Falcone orchestrated the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne to cover his tracks.

Selina Kyle reveals a shattering truth--Carmine Falcone is her father. This revelation fractures her trust and fuels her desire for vengeance. When she learns Falcone killed Annika for discovering his role as the informant, Selina attempts to kill him. Batman and Gordon intervene just in time, arresting Falcone. However, before Falcone can face justice, the Riddler assassinates him with a sniper rifle, eliminating a key player and escalating the chaos.

As Election Night arrives, the Riddler's apocalyptic plan unfolds. He has orchestrated the destruction of the seawalls protecting Gotham Harbor, intending to flood the city and wash away its corruption. Explosions rock the harbor, and water surges into the streets, swallowing Gotham in a rising tide. Evacuation proves impossible, and masses of citizens gather at Gotham Square Garden, seeking refuge.

The square becomes a battleground. Armed followers of the Riddler arrive, opening fire on the crowd. The mayoral candidate Reál is shot in the arm, but Gordon shields her, sustaining the violence with grim determination. Batman arrives amidst the chaos, engaging in a brutal fight with the attackers. Selina Kyle joins him, her agility and ferocity complementing Batman's strength. The floodwaters breach the building, forcing Batman to grab a flare and lead the panicked crowd to safety through the rising water.

The Riddler is captured and imprisoned, his plan thwarted but his ideology unbroken. In his cell, he weeps over the failure, only to be approached by a fellow inmate, portrayed by Barry Keoghan. The inmate offers friendship and hints at future conspiracies, his maniacal laugh echoing a dark promise.

In the aftermath, Gotham lies submerged, its streets and buildings drowned beneath the floodwaters. The criminal underworld, including Penguin, prepares to seize power in the chaos. Batman is hailed as a hero for his rescue efforts, but he is changed. No longer driven solely by vengeance, he vows to embody hope for Gotham's future.

Selina Kyle, disillusioned and weary, plans to leave Gotham, believing the city beyond saving. She and Batman meet one last time, their parting bittersweet. They ride away on motorcycles, separate paths diverging in the mist. Batman glances back at Selina, a silent acknowledgment of their bond and the unresolved struggles ahead. Then, turning forward, he embraces his role as Gotham's protector, the Bat Signal illuminating the night sky--a call he cannot ignore.

Thus ends this chapter of The Batman, a tale of darkness, corruption, and fragile hope, leaving the city poised on the edge of transformation and chaos.

We don't know.

We don't know. The classification of "family-friendly" can vary based on individual sensitivities, but "The Batman" (2022) is generally considered darker and more mature compared to previous Batman adaptations. It contains themes of violence, crime, and moral complexity, as well as some intense scenes that may not be suitable for younger audiences or those sensitive to such content. Parents are encouraged to review the film's rating and content warnings.