By Matthew Moorcroft

Strong Recommendation

• Directed by Jake Schreier
• Starring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, David Harbour
• PG-13

At this point, it’s becoming more common to view each MCU installment as a self-reflexive, meta-textual comment on it’s own existence rather then a standalone picture in it’s own right. As frustrating as it is that these can’t just be their own right, Thunderbolts* (yes the asterisk is part of the title and not just a weird gimmick) very much feels like the greater Marvel machine reckoning with it’s current place in pop culture post-Endgame. One of the characters was a teenager when the aliens attacked back in the first Avengers, not unlike much of the audience likely watching this, and that ennui at the feeling of not being in control of your own life and nobody coming to save you anymore has only been amplified in recent years.

And it’s… really good? Shockingly so? Thunderbolts* always on paper seemed like it was to be Marvel’s death knell – can Marvel really get us to care about cinematic C-tier characters, some from Disney+ shows of all things – but, just like the characters themselves, have unexpectedly found themselves to be exactly what the universe needs in this very moment. While Jake Schreier isn’t known for his action heavy features, Schreier’s work on films like Robot & Frank and the excellent miniseries Beef gives Schreier a keen eye for melancholy; his characters always feel like they are drifting around, going through the motions of life without much in the way of purpose. Thunderbolts* continues this trend, almost literally, opening on a well choreographed overhead action scene that, for Yelena, feels like it’s “going through the motions”.

This forms the otherwise blunt, but exceptionally effective, emotional hook of Thunderbolts*, which uses it’s C-tier cast of character to make greater points and ideas about human nature and whether or not we can evolve past the mistakes of our past. Much of the cast here are among the more scruffy, nasty parts of the universe – hell, for those familiar with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier you know how unlikable at least one of these members can get – but the miracle of Thunderbolts* is how, almost immediately, you don’t care about that as these characters feel so human in their interactions that it endears you to them almost right away. It’s humorous but never overly quippy, instead relying on great situational gags and character work first and foremost.

And then it suddenly isn’t, and by the third act Thunderbolts* evolves to become something far stranger, weirder, and surrealist, evoking imagery that wouldn’t be out of place in a horror film with it’s SCP style antagonist and nuclear bomb-esqe shadows on the ground. A literal void of depression and trauma that engulfs everything it touches, and the only way out is through mutual catharsis. It’s rare that a superhero film really, deeply affects me like this but in the days after watching it Thunderbolts* and it’s themes have stuck with me in a way that I wasn’t expecting. Much of this is probably thanks to the committed cast, with Florence Pugh proving herself to be up there with Iman Valleni as one of the best parts of this new era of the franchise. Her lead of the ensemble – which is uniformly great, particularly an inspired Lewis Pullman – is mostly what pushes Thunderbolts* past the finish line and what turns what could have otherwise been another spec-ops story into something so much more.

Not that the spec-ops stuff is bad! Most of the action setpieces in this are a blast regardless, with smart editing and clear camerawork that keeps things clean and simple. Something like the throwing of a knife becomes a catalyst for an action beat, and it’s super clever! It actually manages to keep most of it’s action small and contained more then you would expect a big team up film to be, which allows Thunderbolts* to find it’s own identity compared to the big bombast of the Avengers or the large scale space operatics of the Guardians of the Galaxy (or the melodrama of the Eternals, if they ever show up again). This is the ground team. The practicality of the sets and the stunts are appreciated, yes, but do serve a greater purpose in keeping everything grounded and tangible compared to other MCU fare.

So, is Thunderbolts* the saviour of the MCU? Did the MCU even need a saviour? I don’t know, I don’t really pay attention to these things outside of maybe getting a little fatigued at superheroes every once and awhile. But as a standalone film, I do feel confident is saying Thunderbolts* is by far and away Marvel’s best in a very long time, and certainly their best non-sequel since the original Black Panther in 2018. It’s as fantastic as superhero films can get, and feels like a return to form for the classics of the genre (a focus on civilians rescue in particular that feels particularly great!). Basically a must watch for fans of the genre, and for anybody sick of the MCU machine, maybe give this one a shot. You won’t regret it.