Madame Web
- Release Date: February 14, 2024
- Director: S.J. Clarkson
- Primary Cast: Celeste O'Connor, Dakota Johnson, Isabela Merced, Sydney Sweeney, Tahar Rahim
- Screenplay: Burk Sharpless, Claire Parker, Matt Sazama, S.J. Clarkson
- Release Platform: Theatrical
- Subgenre: Action, Superhero
- Rating: PG-13
- Runtime: 116 minutes
Synopsis
Set in the early 2000s, a clairvoyant paramedic becomes entangled in a mission to protect three future Spider-Women from a deadly fate.
Review
A throwback to a bygone era when comic book movies were expected to be bad, Madame Web is a case study in poor decisions.
Not part of Disney’s MCU—thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster for that—this film features a cast of talented actors doing their best with an irredeemable script. And that’s probably for the best, because the implications within Madame Web are downright lore-breaking.
Did we really need an origin story for the spider that bit Peter Parker? Maybe—if it had been handled with a competent script and capable direction. But cohesion is nowhere to be found. Instead, the film stitches together fragmented scenes that hint at something greater but never come close to delivering. The early 2000s aesthetic—so incredibly nostalgic for many OG Spider-Man fans—is completely ignored, despite the film being set in 2003. Talk about a missed opportunity.
But Madame Web’s biggest sin? It’s utterly joyless. This is a movie featuring Peruvian spider people and an evil, black-clad proto-Spider-Man—it should have been a blast. Instead, it’s just a slog. And that’s almost unforgivable.