The latest Marvel movie has just opened in cinemas worldwide, and here is our ‘Thunderbolts’ Review. One of the most often used compliments on a Marvel film review is: it doesn’t feel like the other MCU movies. As if the formula that was once beloved by many has gotten toxic and is worth avoiding. Well, I’m going to use that cliche to describe Thunderbolts*, the 36th installment in the film universe juggernaut. Number 36! Once you take that in, it really does feel like going off the beaten path is the right way to go for this franchise, especially one establishing newer heroes like this one.  

First thing first, Thunderbolts* follows a ragtag band of misfits – Yelena/Black Widow (Florence Pugh), John Walker/US Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ava/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and a mysterious test subject named Bob (Lewis Pullman) – brought together by their former boss, Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fountaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss), a politician who fancies becoming the next Nick Fury. But when Valentina couldn’t take the heat of public scrutiny that comes with the job, she decides to eliminate them for good. 

The ordeal forces them to band together for survival. Later, Yelena’s father figure, Red Guardian (David Harbour) and now-senator Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) complete the squad. Revealing more defeats the purpose of the main plot, but they end up squaring off against a powerful figure who absorbs people’s worst trauma. 

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Emotional trauma is at the center of Thunderbolts*. Yelena, the indisputable main character of the ensemble, is dealing with depression – a mix of grief for her sister Natasha (Scarlett Johansson)’s death and the guilt she felt over having killed people in the past. Her journey to overcome that becomes the engine that powers the entire film. And it works so wonderfully because Pugh gives it her all: her performance as someone consumed with emptiness inside is so raw and vulnerable, and dare I say, way above anything ever displayed in a Marvel film. If it were showcased in a prestige Oscar film, she would be in contention for awards by now. 

‘Thunderbolts’ Review

Pullman holds his own as the mirror to Yelena’s struggle: a sad, lonely figure with unbearable pain. Who knows, the actor best known for being Bill Pullman’s son has the capability to be vulnerable in such an endearing way, providing the character the duality it needs. 

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Indeed, the best decision the film made was to singularly focus on its protagonist’s depression, something human that can sometimes feel world-ending just the same. By having the theme shape the directions of the film rather than the other way around, especially its choice of villain, this is already one of the better MCU movies in a long time. See, we don’t care how scary or destructive or powerful a villain can be (case in point: Kang the Conqueror or whichever forgettable villains were in The Eternals and The Marvels). We care more about what the villain represents in the hero’s journey. The best of Marvel films do this — be it Killmonger or Loki, or Thanos. Now, we can add Thunderbolts* to the roster.

Thunderbolts* show that a silly superhero movie can still have depth and talk about something that really matters within the MCU formula. You might need a basic recap of Black Widow, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Ant-Man and the Wasp to fully grasp the tangled backstories of these characters, but mostly, this is one of the easiest recent Marvel movies to follow individually. The story is well contained, with minimum distraction from the interconnected nature that often plagues Marvel movies.

‘Thunderbolts’ Review

And yeah, it’s another cliche to say, but after the successive mess we had before, this one gives the MCU a much-needed jolt from the tiresome offerings it has been devoted to for years. 8/10

P.S. If you’re wondering – yes, stay until the final credits roll, you’ll be treated to something worth your while!

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