Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Scott Hardie: “It ruled.”

As a longtime fan, it's a relief to me to see a more adult take on this character; there's only so much material to be mined from keeping him trapped in high school forever. This one has a lot to say about the anger and loneliness of a generation of young men today, far more than I expected. It turns out that Peter Parker is pretty good vehicle for stories about feelings of isolation and struggle without tilting over into the moral abyss.

I also enjoyed truly not knowing who the villain was for a long time, feeling as confused as the hero, due to some deviations from the source material that obscured the villain's identity. Great choice. Don't let the marketing spoil it for you.

Another plus: Action scenes that felt realized in three-dimensional space, particularly a spectacular one late in the film against multiple foes at once. Spidey zips about the room at erratic angles, zig-zagging unpredictably, and the camera moves with him, which is the way that the character ought to be depicted. He's wasted in conventional side-profile two-dimensional action scenes.

The Punisher makes for a solid sidekick and moral counterpoint to Peter, even if his bloodthirstiness has to be significantly diminished for a mass-market film. Other MCU characters appear and make more contributions than the usual mere set-up for their own next title.

I could have done without some plot contrivances that felt way too improbable. But on the whole, I was surprised to like this as much as I did, even as a fan. I would have been satisfied with a fun summer action entertainment, but this had heavier feelings weighing on it.

− October 6, 2026 • more by Scott • log in or register to reply