Director: Jake Schreirer
Starring: Florence Pugh, David Harbour and Sebastian Stan
‘A Captivating Blockbuster’
Few superhero teams starting revolts are as beloved as the Thunderbolts. Created during the 1990’s, the superhero team gained popularity for depiction of guardians seeking to defend dangerous galaxies. On a personal level, I find the bonds between the Thunderbolts team to be relatable. In university, I formed a strong bond with a group which was determined to accomplish its objectives effectively. In my business class, I formed friendships with a group of girls that sought to create a business presentation. A team of girls that possessed knowledge about business, it was determined to achieve goals with happiness. It didn’t take long before I bonded with a talented team of girls that I had always appreciated. I would often cherish time I spent with a team which made me believe there was nothing in the world I couldn’t accomplish. However, disagreement brought my bond with my team to a closure. My bonds with my team began to deteriorate when members accused me of not pulling my weight. Giving me a poor peer evaluation, the girls criticized me for not producing any contribution. I felt humiliated being rejected by a team I had always appreciated. Being rejected by a team that had only begun to seem like family was a blow to my self-esteem. In a matter of days, I went from being a companion to a stranger in a team which changed its ways. Looking back in reflection, the Thunderbolts have become a sad reminder of a group with which I faced tension. Years later, I treasure a team which reminds me of a group transforming my worldviews forever.
Now, Jake Schreirer honours the iconic superhero team starting revolts in his movie “Thunderbolts”. Released in 2025, Schreirer’s movie honoured the iconic superhero team facing adversity. Packed with breathtaking production-design, engaging storytelling and phenomenal acting, it’s one of the best movies of the year. At the centre of it all is Florence Pugh, who embodies a heroine with strong presence. Although “Thunderbolts” is a captivating comic-book movie, it isn’t a flawless film. It’s unevenly paced, building an ambiguous conclusion. Nevertheless, it offers engaging entertainment that will satisfy comic-book fans.
Following the tragic events of “Black Widow”, “Thunderbolts” captures a team of superheroes facing sorrow. Florence Pugh plays Yelena Belova, a grief-stricken heroine haunted by death of a loved one causing trauma. Haunted by the death of sister Natasha (Scarlett Johansson), Yelena seeks an escape from profession. However, Yelena’s life forever changes when she is assigned a new mission which involves danger. Assisted by her father Alexei (David Harbour), Yelena assembles a team to save the world from danger.
Jake Schreirer is a newcomer to the comic-book genre. A fantastic indie filmmaker, Schreirer had never made a movie about superheroes facing danger. It was the filmmaker’s first attempt to capture the lives of superheroes facing tragedy, but he succeeded tremendously. Using captivating cinematography, Schreirer captures a superhero team embarking on a perilous journey. Recalling Joss Whedon’s “The Avengers”, Schreirer effectively uses montages to capture bonds between a superhero team assembling. For instance, montages enhance the team introduction scene. During this tense scene, Yelena struggles to get along well with her team members during their first meeting in tension. It reminded me of my conflict with a team that treated me poorly believing I hadn’t contributed. Montages are tricky techniques. As Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain” suggests, montages elevate films about queer cowboys. Nevertheless, it works on this film. Through stunning visuals, Schreirer captures tensions that superhero teams are commonly facing.
Another admirable aspect of “Thunderbolts” that deserves appreciation is the production. From a technical perspective, it is arguably the best movie Marvel has ever made. Schreirer effectively stages action sequences capturing bonds between superhero teams. Throughout the movie, Schreirer stages engaging action sequences capturing bonds between heroes in a mission. For instance, action enhances the building raid scene. During this unforgettable scene, Yelena and her team bond together collaborating to escape a building raid causing disaster. It brought back fond memories of my strong bond with a team of talented girls that shaped my identity. Moreover, the musical score is magnificent. Ryan Lotts’ music is key to the success of the movie. It gives the film a tense atmosphere capturing the heavy burden which superheroes on a doomed mission bear. Through phenomenal production design, Schreirer captures lives of superheroes that decline.
Storytelling is one of the main reasons why “Thunderbolts” is a comic-book film which is compelling. The movie is beautifully written, and effectively uses silence to capture tense breakups of teams. Amidst all the engaging action, the film finds time for strong character development. Schreirer’s screenwriting strength is his abilities to capture tensions faced by superhero teams through silence. For instance, silence enhances the farewell scene. During this unforgettable scene, Yelena bids tearful farewell to teams on her final mission. Through sequences of silence, Schreirer creates a superhero team audiences can easily relate to. It reminded me of my silence when I was rejected by a team with which I had collaborated. Silence is a tricky technique to use in movies. Most superhero movies are driven by loud sounds. As Sam Mendes’ “Revolutionary Road” did suggest clearly, silence elevates films about doomed marriages. Scott Cooper’s “Black Mass” suggested that silence elevates films about mobsters. Nevertheless, it works well in this movie. Using a bold screenplay, Schreirer captures the lives of superhero teams experiencing a price to pay.
One appreciates astonishing performances.
Florence Pugh delivers one of her best career performances as Yelena Belova. Pugh first achieved appreciation for playing strong heroines in period dramas. With “Thunderbolts”, however, she took on her most heroic role. It isn’t easy to portray a female heroine seeking to join superhero teams, but Pugh succeeded tremendously. This is the actress unlike you’ve ever seen her before: intense, charismatic and emotional in her most memorable role. It’s a role that gave the actress an opportunity to showcase her talent for playing women under stress. With riveting expressions, she captures the angst, fear and resentments of a heroine seeking to discover her identity. It’s a phenomenal performance from one of the finest actresses working today.
While the film is mainly a stunning showcase for Florence Pugh, the supporting cast is also spectacular and worthy of appreciation. David Harbour is dazzling, capturing the charismatic nature of a superhero father struggling to mend broken bonds with his daughter. Sebastian Stan is spectacular, capturing the tension of a superhero in a tough political profession. Lastly, Lewis Pullman merits appreciation. As a troubled teenage superhero, he is unforgettable.
Although “Thunderbolts” is a captivating comic book blockbuster, it isn’t a flawless film. If there’s a minor drawback to the movie, it lacks engaging pacing. Schreirer’s decision to integrate political subplots into the movie is bold but doesn’t succeed. Therefore, scenes focusing on Valentina’s court hearings aren’t as engaging as tensions that the thunderbolts are facing. Whereas these political subplots elevated the Russo Brothers’ “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, they feel out-of-place in this movie. Moreover, the film lacks a powerful ending. It’s an abrupt conclusion that fails to bring the movie towards a satisfying resolution. Comic-book movies thrive based on their satisfying conclusions, and in this sense “Thunderbolts” falls short.
Nevertheless, fans of Florence Pugh will definitely appreciate “Thunderbolts” and so will movie-goers seeking exhilarating entertainment.
A spectacular tribute towards a commemorated comic-book superhero team that’s iconic, it’s a fantastic reminder that stories of teams collaborating to accomplish objectives are definitely worth telling in movies which captivate the public.
As strong as Yelena’s desire for freedom, it has motivated me to move on with life several years after the heartbreaking end of my relationship with a team that threw a temper tantrum by treasuring positive memories of a group of girls whose inspiring words of wisdom motivated me to achieve my dreams of film criticism.
4/5 stars
The Film Buff 