"Supergirl" REVIEW

Published on 6/29/2026 

Written by: Braylon Mitchell 

Directed by: Craig Gillespie 

Cast: Milly Alcock, Eve Ridley, Jason Mamoa, David Cornswet, etc. 

Plot: Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, joins forces with an unlikely companion on an interstellar journey of vengeance and justice when an unexpected adversary strikes too close to home. 

REVIEW 

A year since the release of James Gunn's "Superman" which kicked off the newly formed DC Studios with critical acclaim, strong box office results, and major pop culture impact, the second feature film entry into the James Gunn DC machine has flown onto screens across the world: "Supergirl". Helmed by well liked director Craig Gillespie ("I, Tonya", "Lars and the Real Girl", "Cruella"), adapted from the beloved 2022 comic book "Woman of Tomorrow", and starring an actress who already left a strong impression in the role with a brief appearance a year ago—things were looking pretty good for "Supergirl". Like many, I'm superhero-fatigued when it comes to the same ol' same ol' dished out to the masses, but with last year's "Superman" and the direction of DC Studios in general I felt a gust of fresh air—fresh air that I still have hope is out there waiting to be sweetly inhaled, but unfortunately this film is a bit of a cloud of smoke. I'll go ahead and get this out of the way because I'd bet it's what you're thinking—no, I don't think this is a bad film. It isn't a very good film either. The film is at its strongest when we're actively encouraged to connect with the character of Kara Zor-el (Supergirl) the most. The beginning fifteen or so minutes of the film and the flashbacks throughout on Krypton are the best parts of the story, and it happens that they're also when we're most engaged with Kara as a person. Her emotional journey of feeling lost and without purpose is strong, until it isn't. The film flip flops on touching the level of achieving deeper emotional catharsis and feeling generic as an overall character arc. One of the key elements of the narrative is the relationship between Kara and a younger girl named Ruthye—a character dynamic that you'd think would be a slam dunk way to get you to care. After all, the pairing between hardened older character and ambitious younger character is as popular as ever. Their "relationship" is made up of meeting each other, Kara standing up for her, them being involved with each other for the rest of the film, one intimate conversation, a repeated "inside joke" that feels like the writer's best attempt at trying to figure out a basic textbook "inside joke", and that's about it. Also, I must say, as much as I don't like to criticize young actors—I found Eve Ridley to be weak in this role, and frankly annoying. I found it difficult to connect with her character when I found her performance to be so devoid of engaging emotion and personality. So much of this film could've been better, and that's what makes its collective mediocrity all the more disappointing. Not even the visual effects, action, and soundtrack—all hallmarks of what fans have come to expect out of something James Gunn is attached to—were that good. Is this film bad? No. There's quite a bit to like about it, especially Milly Alcock in the titular role, but sometimes a film being halted in the middle of the road is just as disappointing as if it had crashed. 

THREE BEST ELEMENTS

• Milly Alcock's performance. Like many of the key players of "Superman" last year, Alcock is perfectly cast in this role. Full of personality and engaging screen presence. She contains all the qualities that you'd want out of this aimless, burnout, and grumpy 20s protgaonist. 

• The makeup. I'm very glad that James Gunn is setting up this world of DC with a population of creatures/aliens that are designed with practical makeup prosthetics—much like his "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy across the street with the MCU. It looks great. 

• Jason Mamoa's performance. He isn't in the film much, he doesn't do much in the film, nor does his character's inclusion feel necessary to the plot but I can't deny he's badass in this role. It's a very fun performance as Lobo, a comic character I know that many have been waiting a long time to see on the big screen. 

WORST ELEMENT 

• The overall potential is wasted. The plot, action, visual effects, cinematography, etc. aren't anything special. 

RATING

5/10

You can skip it, buddy!