‘Supergirl’ Review: Milly Alcock’s Got Swagger to Spare in a Film That Doesn’t Let Her Take Flight [B-]

There’s a certain amount of freedom granted to Supergirl, the film, and the character.

Last year’s Superman introduced Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) to the world with an instantly memorable cameo where she picked up her dog Krypto after a raucous party weekend and called Clark Kent (David Corenswet) a “bitch.” That introduction told us most of what we needed to know about Kara: she’s irreverent, she has a lackadaisical relationship to alcohol, and she’s a refreshing counterpoint to Superman’s “maybe kindness is the new punk rock” attitude. 

The benefit of that introduction is that her own film can spend less time fretting over character table-setting and more so telling a story that feels unique to her. That is what Craig Gillespie, director of I, Tonya and Cruella, attempts with Supergirl, deciding that her story is set not in Metropolis or on Krypton, but on a series of backwater planets as part of her extended 23rd birthday celebration. That celebration is interrupted when her ship is stolen by Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts), an intergalactic criminal who kidnaps and sells young girls of varied species. During the robbery, Krem shoots Kara’s dog, Krypto, with a paralyzing agent that will kill in 72 hours if she doesn’t retrieve the antidote. With the help of Ruthye (Eve Ridley), an aspiring swordswoman whose family was murdered by Krem, Kara sets out to save her beloved dog.

Supergirl arrives as another entry in the space-opera superhero canon, similar to James Gunn’s MCU Guardians of the Galaxy films. Gillespie certainly draws inspiration from the DC Studios’ co-lead signature style, leaning on tasteful anarchy, sarcastic quips, and spirited battles to drive Kara’s journey through the cosmos for Krypto. Much of it is successful, differentiating itself from Superman with its jaded, honest outlook on life. (When asked about Superman, Kara says that he sees the good in people, while she sees the truth.) Smartly, it isn’t pessimistic for pessimism’s sake. Kara’s struggles to connect with others stem from the loss of Krypton and her parents. Even with Clark’s soft, steady guidance, she hesitates to call any place or anyone “home,” for fear of losing it again. 

And so, partying and reluctant heroism are the film’s game, and it’s fun. Gillespie does a good job of uniquely displaying Kara’s powers, relying on her quick thinking as much as her strength and heat vision. During a battle with space pirates on a public bus, Kara shoots herself into space, ostensibly risking her life but actually working to get close to a yellow sun. There are also great scenes that not only showcase her powers but also deepen our understanding of how they work. For instance, when Kara is affected by green Kryptonite, Gillespie visualizes what happens at the cellular level, an unusual but cool demonstration of one of comics’ most iconic Achilles’ heels. 

From a worldbuilding standpoint, Supergirl improves on Superman by more elegantly integrating its supporting DCU characters. Superman’s scenes are warm, charming counterpoints to Kara’s purposefully flippant attitude, while Lobo (Jason Momoa) is delightful, rough-and-tumble company. They never feel like detours or distractions from Kara’s story, but are rather complements that reflect the best and worst possible versions of her current trajectory. While Lobo is the one she most likely understands best, Clark is who she could be if she puts her mind to it. 

In some respects, Supergirl does feel like an attempt to grapple with that dichotomy, as well as with the darker implications of superheroism, especially in the wake of Superman’s unabashedly sunny optimism. (Superman is, itself, a course correction to the DC Extended Universe’s thematically dark run in the 2010s.) The film takes a surprising, tentative step toward that darkness through the main villain, Krem, and his participation in a criminal enterprise that traffics young girls for the specific purpose of “re-populating a male-only planet.” A four-quadrant-appeal comic book movie actively engaging gendered sexual violence feels unprecedented, and is a bold storytelling move for a genre in genuine need of bolder storytelling. (The MCU and Star Wars franchises have also recently dabbled in heavier themes via Thunderbolts and Andor, respectively.) 

Supergirl’s tread into murkier narrative waters is impressive, but it doesn’t quite reach the shore. While present, Gillespie and screenwriter Ana Nogueira don’t fully thread the trafficking beat through either Kara’s or Ruthye’s stories. Specifically, Kara doesn’t initially pursue Krem for his crimes, nor does she change her objective upon realizing the scope of his sanctioned abuses. It doesn’t help that the film’s space-opera structure and built-in irreverence don’t support fleshing Krem out into a compelling threat or fully communicating his impact on the communities he ravages. When Kara inevitably saves the girls from Krem’s ship in an impressive action sequence, it reads as a wonderful coincidence rather than a focused objective that demands her focus and instinct. It feels wrong to suggest that the film should be obligated to address such a heavy topic, especially in a summer blockbuster. However, it also feels like a missed opportunity.

It’s also a shame because, of the current crop of superhero leads, Milly Alcock seems well-poised to tackle meatier material. Already having played a Targaryen dragon princess in House of the Dragon and a high-strung assistant to the one percent in Sirens, Alcock has a strong aptitude for thorny, complex female characters. She is wonderfully self-assured as Kara, whether she’s tipsy and stumbling across the frame or slamming into her enemies. Great as she is with Kara’s default glib mode, Alcock is even better at conveying Kara’s conflict over her aimlessness and ennui, beautifully captured in close-ups of her vulnerable eyes. Her deft balance of both vulnerability and confidence isn’t tapped enough in the film, especially when it’s what makes her iteration of Supergirl so successful.

It’s entirely possible that introducing Supergirl so effectively in Superman was both a blessing and a curse for her own outing. While Supergirl isn’t saddled with a momentum-killing first act that recaps her table-stakes history, it also doesn’t fully lean into that freedom, settling for well-worn genre conventions when there were thornier, but more fruitful opportunities to explore. The film is a fine pseudo-first flight for Kara Zor-El, but it does soar enough to escape her famous cousin’s shadow.

Warner Bros will release Supergirl only in theaters on June 26.