Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound – the legend of Supergirl lives on. After David Corenswet reminded the world that a man can fly in Superman 2025, Milly Alcock is here to prove women can soar, too.
The film begins with Kara and her dog Krypto going on a galaxy-wide bender to celebrate her 23rd birthday. However, Kara's cosmic kegger is interrupted when she meets the young Ruthye Marye Knoll, who wants vengeance against Krem of the Yellow Hills and his crew of Cenobite-looking aliens who are going around the galaxy being cruel to everyone.
Milly Alcock shines as Kara, bringing a fierce and funny energy to the role while also giving Kara a pathos that belies her party girl attitude. Unfortunately, she can't save the movie alone.
The story has its charms, with an inciting incident that makes sense, suitably high stakes with Krypto, and some decent gags along the way. Kara's world of alien creatures and strange landscapes is suitably weird and wonderful, making me excited to see what else lies in the DCU's stars.
However, the film falls short of its full potential due to some major issues. Supergirl feels like a movie made by someone doing a bad karaoke version of Guardians of the Galaxy – they know the lyrics, but the timing is off, and the beat is wrong.
The film's ugly cinematography, poor blocking, and frantic editing make it hard to take seriously. Set pieces that should be exciting end up looking like a confusing blur of brown mush. The needle drops don't work because they feel arbitrary, and the biggest problem with the film is its villain, Krem, who looks like a rejected backing dancer from an Evanescence music video.
The biggest issue, however, is Krem's evil plan, which involves child sex trafficking. The film treats this as an incidental plot point and never mentions it again, making it baffling and tone-deaf. It's a decision that could have been justified if the film had anything to say about this terrible crime.
Milly Alcock dazzles as Supergirl, but the film's kryptonite is ugly cinematography, a bad villain, and a plot point so ill-conceived it's stunning. Unfortunately, this means Supergirl is less Supergirl and more Sup-eh-girl.
Supergirl will be released on June 26, 2026.
Despite its flaws, Supergirl has some redeeming qualities, including Milly Alcock's brilliant performance and some fun and irreverent moments. However, the film's biggest issues – ugly cinematography, a bad villain, and a tone-deaf plot point – are too big to ignore.
Ultimately, Supergirl feels like a missed opportunity to bring the legendary heroine to life in a new and exciting way. With some tweaks to its tone, pacing, and villain, this could have been a truly great superhero movie. As it stands, it's a disappointing effort that fails to live up to its full potential.
