Thunderbolts finally dropped, and we’ve got a couple things to say about the latest ragtag team of morally gray anti-heroes. This is our NO SPOILERS review so if you haven’t seen the movie you can check this out before heading over to see it for yourself!
The Good
Hot Take, this is Florence Pugh’s movie.
She steals every scene she’s in and is on point with her dry humor, yet she also brings on the feels when needed. You can clearly see the struggle in her character, and we loved her approach to this role. Paired with the top-notch cinematography, Florence and the rest of the cast are (literally) framed in the best way possible.
Action sequences are snappy and brutal, a strong contrast to the glossy Avengers-style stuff—it’s like if the Avengers were a bunch of gamers, this is it. Our heroes are simple, punch-and-shoot, type guys, and they get the job done no matter what.
The gritty boots-on-the-ground style was refreshing to see, and a reminder that heroes bleed—the fact that we know they bleed elevated the movie cause there’s just more stakes involved.
The Meh
The team dynamic feels way undercooked.
There’s a lot of potential for a dysfunctional family vibe, but it felt a bit too rushed. I feel like the movie wanted to bank on each character’s charisma, but that process is often hit-or-miss regardless of the movie. We like that they took that risk though. Kudos.
Tonal whiplash is back at it again. Marvel is known for cutting the tension with quippy banter and the occasional slapstick scene, and while it feels better and more thought out this time around, it wouldn’t hurt if they would just let the characters simmer with the tension in the air.
The Bad
If you were hoping for this to be Marvel’s dark turn, you’ll be disappointed. It flirts with weightier themes like trauma, redemption, guilt, but hits you with a classic Marvel joke once things start getting too real.
We’ve seen this before, and it doesn’t look like they have any intention of changing.
While the first 2 acts of the movie feel solid, the third is classic Marvel. In a scramble to wrap things up, characters are forgotten, peak CGI, and the story ends all too soon to prelude the next big Marvel movie. While we’re all excited for what’s next in store, but that doesn’t mean every movie has to end in such a messy way. Let the feels breathe on screen, that’s all I’m saying.
The Verdict
Thunderbolts was an enjoyable movie experience. It touched on several story beats that I was surprised and grateful to see in a Marvel movie, but dangled the bait just long enough for the usual Marvel problems to take over.
I’m giving this one an 8/10. Needs a bit more polishing, but most characters elevated the entire experience. Went out of the theatres wanting more which is a refreshing thing to experience after watching a movie in 2025.
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