Thunderbolts*
2025 · Directed by Jake Schreier
Original language: English
- action
- science fiction
- adventure
The story
After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, seven disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
What it’s like
Bright, glossy studio sheen with saturated Marvel colour, sleek interiors lit by cool fluorescent office light and the warm glow of a dim, cavernous tower, and a restless handheld energy during the brawls that softens into steadier two-shots when the characters talk. The city scenes lean on hazy New York skylines and rain-slicked street lamps, while a synth-tinged orchestral score pulses under the action and drops to quieter piano when the mood turns inward. Its vibe is wry, scrappy and bruised: an easygoing, sardonic lightness laid over a current of loneliness and self-doubt. It suits a Friday evening with friends, a comfort rewatch, or something to put on with a bowl of popcorn when you want banter with a little ache underneath. The pacing is brisk, with quips between the fights and a steady stream of set-piece action. Its people are misfits slowly, grudgingly becoming a team, each carrying old regrets toward some fragile sense of belonging. Violence is frequent and punchy, with bone-crunching brawls, gunfire and explosions, but largely bloodless and cartoonish rather than gory; there is some peril and emotional heaviness around depression and guilt, and mild language. It is for fans of superhero ensembles who like their heroes flawed, funny and a little broken.
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