Thunderbolts* (2025, Jake Schreier) is a psychological-action comic book movie about a bunch of losers who get thrown in our face by a desperately opportunistic manipulative tyrant who can be read to symbolize Marvel Studios itself. Ultimately we empathize with the Thunderbolts and in doing so want to kill ourselves. Gen x is back and this is what appeals to us.
This movie is all about being down on yourself. I love it. Thunderbolts* is a lame rip-off of the far superior The Suicide Squad (2021, James Gunn) first of all. And there’s nothing to do with YELENA that we hadn’t already seen in Black Widow (2021, Cate Shortland), or ALEXEI either for that matter; and everything to do with Florence Pugh delivering a performance where she plays someone dealing with grief-guilt over trauma is redundant in the shadow of the far superior Midsommar (2019, Ari Aster).
And the plot device that serves as vehicle offroad into the subconscious is so much a rip-off of Eternal Sunshine that there’s even a scene where Yelena breaks into another room through a wall that cuts to her climbing through it and up out of a hatch in the floor complete with tracking gimble tilt. All orchestrated by a villain whose design isn’t that much different than the forest ghost from Uncle Boonmee.
The score mostly feels like it takes its refrain straight from that Kid Cudi “Pursuit of Happiness” with a bit of the Largo – Finale of Schumann’s Symphony no. 4. And here is where Thunderbolts* won me over. It’s like the oppression is authentic enough to vindicate the mediocrity. The emotional underscoring is rousing. I’m pulling for them. And I realized all of the subpar indistinct flavorless Marvel style is filling in for the feeling of not fitting in and underwhelming disconnect with the spread of the corporation that is social media/pop culture = society.
Thunderbolts* manifests an existential gloom so tangible and modern that it connected with me. And the power loneliness has to leave nothing behind of someone but a dark streak is a profound aesthetic flourish, albeit one already done in Pulse (2001, Kiyoshi Kurosawa). This thing’s got emotion. And to top it all off there are a these three bait and switch gags where I’m sentimentally about to go misty or vengeful when right at the last second it’s a trap loaded with a trick unexpected emotional reaction of a completely unexpected variety. I’m at the very least intrigued here.
And the plot device that serves as vehicle offroad into the subconscious is so much a rip-off of Eternal Sunshine that there’s even a scene where Yelena breaks into another room through a wall that cuts to her climbing through it and up out of a hatch in the floor complete with tracking gimble tilt. All orchestrated by a villain whose design isn’t that much different than the forest ghost from Uncle Boonmee.
The score mostly feels like it takes its refrain straight from that Kid Cudi “Pursuit of Happiness” with a bit of the Largo – Finale of Schumann’s Symphony no. 4. And here is where Thunderbolts* won me over. It’s like the oppression is authentic enough to vindicate the mediocrity. The emotional underscoring is rousing. I’m pulling for them. And I realized all of the subpar indistinct flavorless Marvel style is filling in for the feeling of not fitting in and underwhelming disconnect with the spread of the corporation that is social media/pop culture = society.
Thunderbolts* manifests an existential gloom so tangible and modern that it connected with me. And the power loneliness has to leave nothing behind of someone but a dark streak is a profound aesthetic flourish, albeit one already done in Pulse (2001, Kiyoshi Kurosawa). This thing’s got emotion. And to top it all off there are a these three bait and switch gags where I’m sentimentally about to go misty or vengeful when right at the last second it’s a trap loaded with a trick unexpected emotional reaction of a completely unexpected variety. I’m at the very least intrigued here.
5/4/2025 AMC Madison Yards 8
Atlanta, GA
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