“A brand new day starts now.
Fighting crime full-time as Spider-Man in a world that doesn’t remember him—and the pressure of seeing his old friends move on without him—sparks a change in Peter Parker he may not have the power to control. But that transformation might also be the only thing that can stop a shocking new threat to the city and those he loves – a powerful villain no one can even see.” – Letterboxd Synopsis
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is easily the best Spider-Man movie to date and one of, if not the best comic book movies. As someone who has long held the opinion that despite their flaws, the Home trilogy (and MCU Spidey in general) is the best on screen adaption of both sides of the character and that Tom Holland plays both sides just as well as his predecessors. Brand New Day is a notch above those films. I genuinely felt an array of emotions that invested me all throughout this movie. And while No Way Home holds a special spot in my heart because of external factors, this is on another level.
This is the Spider-Man that everyone wanted and was clamoring for after No Way Home. While not necessarily broke and on the struggle bus. Peter’s real life and hero life balance is now completely in the dumpster. The Home trilogy does a really good job of showing the difficulties of balancing the whole superhero thing with teenage life and subsequently dealing with the issues that come with that, like love and loss. Now that Peter is an adult, and it’s been four years since the world has forgotten about him. He’s had to watch the people closest to him grow without him. It’s a different type of loss than Aunt May or Tony. It’s basically like he’s a ghost now and everyone else is just out of reach. Now he has no balance in his life, Peter is basically gone. He is always Spider-Man, who sometimes has to act like he’s a normal person. It’s the classic superhero identity crisis. And with his mental and emotional changes come physical changes. The metaphors for adulthood and that transition from teenager to adult are ripe here. So now he has to deal with all of this, all the while an invisible threat is running wild in the city. This is such a quintessential Spider-Man movie, made even better by how they handle New York. We are so deep into this universe and I’m glad we’re starting to get back to non-cameo like appearances of other characters in movies. The Punisher, Bruce Banner, White Widow are here, and they aren’t cameos they just exist in New York and it makes the world of this movie feel as alive as it should be.
There’s a single moment very early on in this movie where Peter makes a decision on impulse because he misses his friends, and it needle drops into Tame Impala’s “Loser.” I knew this movie was going to be peak. Peter has really gone through so much, and between this and NWH, he is facing his biggest challenge. He made a sacrifice, and now he has to live with his actions. Which throughout this movie, it’s clear that he really can’t. He didn’t read MJ that note like he planned, yet he continues to go to the same shops as his friends and keeps up with them on social media. He is killing himself with his own self-doubt and fear, and that’s what a hard decision can do to you. All of this coinciding with his powers evolving, but just like his feelings, he’d rather suppress it instead of accept it. The arc that he goes through is genuinely heartbreaking and heartwarming. The sadness, anger, loneliness, and bitterness- all of these emotions bubble up to the surface in fits of frustration. His overcoming of this is genuinely amazing. I love my friends to death, and just imagining being in his situation got me emotional at like multiple points in this movie. And the climax is beautiful. It is an amazing Spider-Man moment. It’s an even better Peter Parker moment. I don’t think it was a debate before, but this movie is the solidified moment that Tom became the best person to put the suit on. Plus, he does this crazy New York accent while he’s Spider-Man, and I loved it.
This New York is so alive. Yelena is hilarious. I hope we get at least one solo Mark Ruffalo Hulk movie. He just personifies everything that is Banner. The moment he transforms in this movie is equally horrifying and heartbreaking. Disney please. Scorpion was a fun mini antagonist to start the movie. And his partnership with Detective DeWolf was nice. Unintentional or not, there is a pretty interesting message in this movie that revolves around Spider-Man and the government. Their trust in him and his trust of them. Which, in other media, has always been akin to Batman’s situation in DC, but with this being a whole universe that he’s in, and with some things that happen in this movie. There’s potential for a lot more conflict there and interesting stories to be told. Back on track though, I remember watching Homecoming and not really caring for either Ned or MJ in particular. But as the Home trilogy went on, they really grew on me, and in this movie they are both great. Ned has a lesser role, but it’s still so emotionally impactful, and MJ’s relationship with Spidey is great. I’ve come to really love Zendaya’s take on this character, and her and Tom’s real life relationship bleeds through the screen in some moments and adds so much to their relationship and characters individually.
Then we got the god-damn Punisher. I still need to watch his show, but damn, did he steal every scene he was in. One of my favorite dynamics is the cheery, upbeat type with the moody, grumpy friend. Spider-Man seems to have a lot of relationships like that. Outside of the MCU, he and Wolverine mainly share this connection. In this movie, it’s the Punisher. Frank is fucking dope. He’s hilarious, brutal, and brutally honest. And his somewhat of character arc in this movie is cool. The way he and Spidey argue, but he still comes to his aid and is there for him. It’s clear that Frank sees his son in him and still sees the good in the world in him, which is something the grumpy man needs. Which is something that Peter needed in this movie even more.
I’m still upset that the identity of the main villain got spoiled for me like a week before I got to see this because that reveal midway through would’ve otherwise made me go crazy. I won’t spoil it here, but I will say they are up there with some of the best villains on screen Spidey has faced. Very few times has a situation for Spider-Man felt so hopeless. Their portrayal as a villain in this movie in this way is really menacing and unexpectedly intimidating. They are also a very sympathetic villain, and their presence alone adds so many layers to other existing themes in this movie.
This is such a visual treat to look at. My jaw dropped multiple times watching it. The direction in this movie is a step above most other superhero movies, especially the MCU. You can really see it in the fight choreography. Added to that, the music and the score are chef’s kiss. That Tame Impala scene is gonna live rent free in my head because it just fit so perfectly and that’s not even the only one. So many great song choices. The directing was amazing. This should really be the bar for MCU movies.
So yeah, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is phenomenal. I haven’t watched a superhero movie and thought to myself, “that’s one of my favorite movies ever.” Since the last Spider-Man movie 5 years ago. And that’s for different reasons than this. This is what the MCU should be striving for. The quality oozing from every aspect of this movie should be the bar for the multi-billion-dollar company that produces one of the biggest media franchises ever. It had everything that I hope a comic book movie would have. This is the best Spider-Man movie ever
Spider-Man: Brand New Day – 10/10
