The Bat Whispers is a weird, fast-moving 1930s trip

You should probably watch The Bat Whispers if you like those old 'Dark House' mysteries where every single person has a secret they are hiding.

If you hate theatrical acting from the early sound era or people screaming at the top of their lungs, you are definitely going to have a bad time. 🦇

The movie starts with a guy in a bat suit terrorizing the city.

He looks like he is wearing a heavy rug, honestly, but he is jumping off buildings and killing people like it is nothing.

The first thing I noticed was the camera.

It does not just sit there like most movies did back in 1930.

The camera flies down hallways and zooms through windows like it is on a wire.

It’s actually pretty impressive how much it moves for a movie this old.

The director, Roland West, was clearly trying to show off with these wide shots and miniatures.

It looks like a toy town sometimes, but in a very cool, moody way.

It reminded me a bit of the creepy atmosphere in The Show, though this one is much louder and faster.

Chester Morris plays the detective, Anderson.

He has a very sharp jawline and he spends most of the movie looking intense and pointing at things.

The mansion where most of the movie happens is called 'The Oaks.'

It has about fifty different doors and windows, and apparently, nobody knows how to lock any of them.

That is why the Bat keeps getting in and out so easily.

There is a lady named Lizzie, played by Maude Eburne, who screams at everything.

She screams at a shadow. She screams at a maid. She screams because a door opened.

By the middle of the movie, my ears were actually ringing a little bit. 👂

There is one specific shot where the Bat is just a giant shadow on a wall.

The shadow is huge, way bigger than a real person, and it looks really spooky even now.

The plot is about a bank robbery and some missing money, but I totally lost track of the details.

Everyone is a suspect and everyone looks guilty for no reason.

There is a hidden room that they find in the most ridiculous way.

Someone just leans on a wall and—click—the secret door pops open.

I really loved the very end where an actor talks directly to the camera.

He tells the audience not to tell anyone who the Bat is so the mystery stays a secret.

It feels very much like an old stage play trick.

Compared to something like A Christmas Carol, this is way more of a thriller.

It isn't trying to be deep or artistic; it just wants to make you jump in your seat.

Gustav von Seyffertitz has the best name in the history of movies.

He looks very suspicious the whole time he is on screen.

He is mostly there to be a red herring and make you think he is the killer.

The movie moves so fast that sometimes it’s hard to tell who is talking.

It feels like every single actor drank five cups of coffee right before the director yelled action.

I noticed a weird thing with a clock in the background during one scene.

The time on the clock doesn't match the scene at all, but I love finding small mistakes like that.

The Bat has a weird light he uses that projects a bat shape on the wall.

It is basically the Batman signal, but used by a murderer instead of a hero.

This movie is definitely better than most other stuff from 1930.

Most films back then were just people sitting in a room talking quietly.

This one is a total circus of movement and shadows.

If you want a cozy, spooky night, you should definitely put this on.

Just don't expect the logic to hold up under pressure.

The story is pretty thin, like a dusty old spiderweb. 🕸️

It is more about the vibe than the actual plot.

Sometimes the screen goes dark for a few seconds too long, and you wonder if the movie broke.

But then someone screams and the camera starts flying again.

It’s a fun ride if you can handle the old-fashioned noise.