Curator Watchlist

https://www.curatorwatchlist.com › morbius

Morbius

A glossy, effects-heavy comic-book vampire origin story that became far more famous for its internet mockery than for its storytelling. It has a few pulpy ideas and occasional camp value, but the plotting is thin, the tone is muddy, and the action never really earns the mythic seriousness it wants.

Morbius

Where to watch: Buy

Movie · Action · Science Fiction

Wed · 1h 45m

Director: Daniel Espinosa

Starring: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona

Overview

Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder, and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Michael Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. What at first appears to be a radical success soon reveals itself to be a remedy potentially worse than the disease.

Director

Daniel Espinosa

Cast

Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona

Curator Review

Verdict

A glossy, effects-heavy comic-book vampire origin story that became far more famous for its internet mockery than for its storytelling. It has a few pulpy ideas and occasional camp value, but the plotting is thin, the tone is muddy, and the action never really earns the mythic seriousness it wants.

Best for

  • Viewers chasing so-bad-it’s-fascinating spectacle
  • Fans of glossy studio superhero misfires
  • People in the mood for accidental camp and meme culture

Skip if

  • You want sharp character writing or coherent world-building
  • You’re looking for a genuinely scary or stylish vampire movie
  • You dislike lifeless CGI action and studio-mandated franchise setup

Overview

Morbius is the kind of movie that arrives already half-remembered as a joke, and the finished film does little to fight that reputation. It has the ingredients of a tragic antihero thriller, but they’re assembled into something oddly inert: rushed exposition, murky visual effects, and a lead performance that never finds a stable emotional register.

Worth noting

There are flashes of pulpy fun in the transformation material and in the villain’s more unhinged energy, but the film keeps drifting away from anything genuinely strange or frightening. Instead of leaning into horror or melodrama, it settles for generic blockbuster beats and franchise housekeeping.

Bottom line

As a curiosity, it’s easy to understand why it became a meme. As a movie, it’s mostly a reminder that a recognizable concept is not the same thing as a compelling execution. If you’re here for camp, you may find a few laughs; if you’re here for a good comic-book monster story, there are far better places to look.

Top Letterboxd reviews

Joey (5★) · 14301 likes

What can I say. I laughed. I cried. I smiled. I got scared. I shit my pants. Actually everyone shit their pants. Morbius did not just eclipse Jack and Jill as the greatest film ever released by Sony Pictures, nor did it just obliterate Battlefield Earth as the medium's greatest achievement. It transcends film, it transcends literature, it transcends art, it transcends human comprehension. I only gave it a 5/5 because I couldn't give it an ∞/5 because this website

saskia (0.5★) · 11288 likes

paul allens batman

COBRARocky (1★) · 9416 likes

I bought tickets to this ironically and then sat down in the empty theatre and realized I now had to actually watch Morbius.

kj (1.5★) · 6085 likes

first date idea: take her to see morbius and tell her it’s empty cause you rented out the theater

Smuggy · 4460 likes

Why yes im excited for morbius, how can you tell? ⠀⠀⠘⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡜⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠑⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡔⠁⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠢⢄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⠴⠊⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⢀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⡀⠤⠄⠒⠈⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⣀⠄⠊⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠿⠛⠛⠛⠋⠉⠈⠉⠉⠉⠉⠛⠻⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠋⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠛⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⣀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣤⣤⣤⣄⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⢿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⢏⣴⣿⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣟⣾⣿⡟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⢢⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣟⠀⡴⠄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⠟⠻⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠶⢴⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿ ⣿⣁⡀⠀⠀⢰⢠⣦⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡄⠀⣴⣶⣿⡄⣿ ⣿⡋⠀⠀⠀⠎⢸⣿⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣴⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠗⢘⣿⣟⠛⠿⣼ ⣿⣿⠋⢀⡌⢰⣿⡿⢿⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠀⢸⣿⣿⣧⢀⣼ ⣿⣿⣷⢻⠄⠘⠛⠋⠛⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢿⣧⠈⠉⠙⠛⠋⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣧⠀⠈⢸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠟⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⢃⠀⠀⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⡿⠀⠴⢗⣠⣤⣴⡶⠶⠖⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⡸⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⡀⢠⣾⣿⠏⠀⠠⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠛⠉⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣧⠈⢹⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣰⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⡄⠈⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣠⣴⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣠⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣴⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⣄⣀⣀⣀⣀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⡄⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠀⠀⠀⠙⣿⣿⡟⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠇⠀⠁⠀⠀⠹⣿⠃⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠛⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢐⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠛⠉⠉⠁⠀⢻⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⠈⣿⣿⡿⠉⠛⠛⠛⠉⠉ ⣿⡿⠋⠁⠀⠀⢀⣀⣠⡴⣸⣿⣇⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡿⠄⠙⠛⠀⣀⣠⣤⣤⠄

Recommended similar titles

Blade

1998 · Horror, Action · 2h 1m · R · Where to watch: Peacock, Peacock Premium Plus

A far stronger comic-book vampire movie with real atmosphere, kinetic action, and a confident sense of style.

Blade II

2002 · Fantasy, Horror, Action · 1h 57m · R · Where to watch: Peacock, Peacock Premium Plus

If you want sleek monster mythology and stylized blood-soaked action, this delivers the goods with much more energy.

The Crow

1994 · Fantasy, Action, Thriller · 1h 42m · R · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Peacock, Philo, MGM Plus, Peacock Premium Plus

Shares the gothic antihero mood and tragic transformation, but with a much more distinctive visual identity.

Darkman

1990

A pulpy, emotionally charged vigilante monster movie that balances comic-book absurdity with genuine invention.

The Mask of Zorro

1998 · Action, Adventure · 2h 18m · PG-13

For a charismatic studio adventure with swashbuckling momentum and clear heroic/villainous stakes.

Underworld

2003 · Fantasy, Action, Thriller · 2h 2m · R · Where to watch: Philo, MGM Plus, Starz

A slick, moody vampire-versus-monster franchise starter that embraces its own pulp better than Morbius does.

Constantine

2005 · Fantasy, Action, Horror · 2h 1m · R · Where to watch: Max

A supernatural comic-book adaptation with stronger atmosphere, sharper imagery, and a more committed occult vibe.

Hellboy

2004 · Fantasy, Action · 2h 2m · PG-13 · Where to watch: fuboTV

A better example of a comic-book outsider story that finds humor, heart, and creature-feature flair.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

2014 · Action, Adventure, Science Fiction · 2h 21m · PG-13 · Where to watch: Disney Plus, fuboTV, FXNow

Another glossy superhero sequel with overstuffed plotting and franchise baggage, but more colorful energy.

Venom

2018 · Science Fiction, Action · 1h 52m · PG-13 · Where to watch: Disney Plus, fuboTV

A more successful example of a studio antihero movie that knows how to lean into absurdity and star-driven chaos.

Spawn

1997

A flawed but similarly ambitious dark-comic adaptation that goes hard on supernatural transformation and visual excess.

The Lost Boys

1987 · Horror, Comedy, Thriller · 1h 37m · R · Where to watch: Philo, AMC

A cooler, more playful vampire movie that understands style, attitude, and teen-goth energy.

Themes

antihero transformation, medical desperation, vampirism, corporate comic-book spectacle, franchise setup, camp failure, identity and corruption, science gone wrong

Topics

superhero, vampire, comic-book adaptation, camp, misfire, action, science fiction, dark fantasy, antihero, meme culture

Open Morbius (Wed ) on Curator TV