A gritty, offbeat space-fantasy superhero adventure with strong lead casting and some appealing production design, but the overall reception suggests uneven humor, familiar plotting, and action that doesn’t fully deliver on its premise.
Supergirl
Where to watch: In Theaters
Movie · Action · Adventure · PG-13
2026 · 1h 48m
Truth. Justice. Whatever.
Director: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Milly Alcock, Eve Ridley, Matthias Schoenaerts
Overview
When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.
Director
Craig Gillespie
Production
DC Studios, Troll Court Entertainment, The Safran Company
Cast
Milly Alcock, Eve Ridley, Matthias Schoenaerts, Jason Momoa, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, Alice Hewkin, Ferdinand Kingsley, Diarmaid Murtagh, David Corenswet, Wil Coban, George Montague, Emily Piggford, Bruce Lennox, Audrey Brisson-Jutras, Avye Leventis, Leo Bill
Curator Review
Verdict
A gritty, offbeat space-fantasy superhero adventure with strong lead casting and some appealing production design, but the overall reception suggests uneven humor, familiar plotting, and action that doesn’t fully deliver on its premise.
Best for
Viewers who like cosmic superhero movies with a rougher, more punk-leaning edge
Fans of character-driven genre films where the lead performance matters more than the plot
Audiences open to DCU worldbuilding and interstellar adventure
People who enjoy revenge-tinged sci-fi with creature effects and stylized design
Skip if
You want tightly written, emotionally clean superhero storytelling
You’re tired of Marvel-style quippy structure and cosmic side-quest plotting
You prefer action-heavy blockbusters with standout set pieces
You dislike films that feel derivative of earlier franchise entries
Overview
Supergirl looks like a deliberate attempt to give Kara Zor-El a harder, scrappier identity than the usual bright, inspirational superhero template. The strongest signal here is the lead performance: reviews consistently point to a charismatic, chaotic, emotionally direct center that gives the character some bite. The film’s industrial, grimy visual approach and creature work also sound more distinctive than the average studio comic-book gloss.
Worth noting
But the same feedback points to a movie that never fully escapes its familiar machinery. The plot seems to lean on revenge and interstellar travel without finding a fully original dramatic shape, and the action is described as surprisingly flat by some viewers. There’s also a recurring sense that the film borrows too heavily from other franchise playbooks, especially the early Marvel-era cosmic formula and certain Star Wars textures.
Bottom line
As a result, this feels more like a promising tonal experiment than a fully satisfying standalone epic. If you’re curious about a more abrasive, consequence-driven take on a famous hero and you value performance and design over narrative freshness, it’s worth a look. If you want the genre to feel newly invented, this may leave you wanting more.
Top Letterboxd reviews
jonathan fujii (2★) · 359 likes
Here DC goes again taking one step forward, two steps back
George Carmi · 320 likes
cut from the same cloth as alan taylor’s thor: the dark world.
Joel (3★) · 301 likes
It’s a perfectly fine movie that reminds me a lot of phase 1-2 marvel movies. Milly does great as Kara, but the movie itself holds her back. Momoa as Lobo is AMAZING and so much fun in every scene. But ultimately feels inconsequential, & some very strange changes to the comic
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan · 292 likes
fuck being nice. be kind. and obviously, never fuck with the dog.
Matt Neglia (2★) · 276 likes
Milly Alcock brings an edgy attitude to Kara that matches SUPERGIRL’s punk rock, grimy, industrial aesthetic. It’s a smart casting decision and the film’s creative direction also produces some excellent, highly detailed costuming and production design, with a nice blend of practical and visual effects for the creature design and makeup. And that’s about where my praise ends. The humor rarely lands, the action is surprisingly dull, the visual effects are the same as you’ve seen in other movies of
2019 · Action, Science Fiction, Adventure · 2h 2m · PG-13 · Where to watch: fuboTV
A stylized sci-fi action film with a strong heroine navigating a dangerous, heavily designed world.
Themes
superhero origin and identity, revenge and justice, interstellar adventure, found family / unlikely alliance, grief and consequence, female-led action, cosmic sci-fi, punk/grimy aesthetic