This review contains spoilers.
The plotty blockbusters in the Marvel franchise often test our abilities to stay awake: they are not bad films by any means, but in which so many things happen all at once that few minutes are left to dive into the characters’ feelings, or better yet, their mental states as a result of the action. Other series within the franchise, such as Thor, give us brilliant character development in their early instalments, but lose their way later on. The Asgardian god’s brother Loki was where writers got it right however, as we see him reach his final evolution, which is now paramount to the entire Marvel storyline, in his acclaimed titular TV series.
Similar levels of storytelling is why Spider-Man: Brand New Day is still being talked about. During Tom Holland’s reign with the character, we’ve seen the true effects of the events in the series play out as they naturally would in real life. There’s no cheap “problem comes – solve the problem – movie over” formula in the Jon Watts and Destin Daniel Cretton directing runs. And though the latter was passed the torch by Watts in Brand New Day, we still see a very careful treatment of the character by Watts in the first three films, and not everything is solved magically just because we want it to. Watts and Cretton are telling us: Peter Parker is a traumatised kid, with emotions as real as ours, who feels the consequences of life as harshly as we do in reality. And that’s why it works.
When Peter finally brings himself to tell MJ (Zendaya) he loves her, as he promised he would to her pre-mind-wiped self, there’s no sudden light in her face that signals, I love you too, Spider-Man! There’s a total absence of optimistic music, celebratory champagne bottles going off, and Peter’s also-mind-wiped ex-best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) popping out of a curtain going, me as well! with the three joining hands and running into the sunset. No, MJ’s actual “I don’t love you” is as much of a stab to us as it is to Peter, and it’s great.
To beat Brand New Day’s predecessor No Way Home, however, sounds like an unrealistic expectation. We’re talking about the film that dragged Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire through sparkly Doctor Strange portals to join forces in the most epic spider-team fans could’ve ever dreamed of.
But then, well, Brand New Day does just that.
The story is rich but not convoluted, like some could argue the last two films were. We meet Jean Grey (Sadie Sink) whose power is believably terrifying, and whose tragedy rivals that of Peter’s. Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner returns, and his relationship with Peter is a lovely one, not replacing the genius dad figure that was Tony Stark, but caring and interested in the younger’s scientific hypotheses nonetheless. Jon Bernthal’s Punisher is dad two, seeming abrasive on the outside, but also smashing through hospital doors and crying out to save Peter’s life when it’s on the line (just don’t ask Punisher who Peter was wounded by).
The actors are all as stunningly convincing as Holland, but perhaps the most interesting character besides Spider-Man is Jean, to Sink’s full credit. When we come to the same conclusion that she does, the reveal is all the more gut-wrenching for being simply meaningless. “V-max” was no secret code, no key to Sara’s rescue, or plans of her captors: it was a desperate final call of her, now we realise, dead sister. In Peter and Jean’s final stand-off, with the whole of New York at stake, blood and tears are shed, and they finally come to a deep understanding of one another.
With two friendless souls finding comfort in each other, we watch both Peter and Jean becoming changed selves, reaching their fifth stages of grief and parting ways for now. In a stunning sequence, Peter is contemplative and peaceful, high above the metropolis as always, with the sunset as his companion. Michael Giacchino’s score is nothing short of breathtaking; solemn synths begin, eventually leading to a fantastic and reinvigorated rendition of Spider-Man’s motif.
The zingy colour in this film has the reds of spider-man’s mask popping out: truly a breath of fresh air from all the washed-out colour grading in film these days. The cinematography is as dynamic as a spider-man film should be, showing all the possible ways a man swinging between skyscrapers and defying gravity could look on screen. When he’s fighting elusive enemies known as The Hand, the action between red-donning martial artists and Peter stringing them up in creative web formations becomes a stunning kaleidoscope on screen: a win for action lovers and those who prefer watching pretty things.
The end credits is one of about ten aspects of this film that still gets viral X (Twitter) posts about to this day. In contrast to the vibrant, comicy credits we’ve seen in Holland’s first three, smacking on the good vibes whether it ended on a good note or a bittersweet one, Brand New Day‘s credits presented something very raw. There’s no animation, no illustration: it’s just New York. The real New York, featuring pigeons fluttering on concrete and homeless men on benches. People swim along the pavements, unphased by the day’s golden hour, and are totally unaware that they are a part of something huge and beautiful. When Steve Lacy comes in during his wistful song “oh yeah?”, singing “Life’s a b**ch / And then you live again”, we feel the weight in every note, and remember that all the highs and lows and emotions are packed into each of these tiny faces we see on screen.
This is indeed the neighbourhood that the friendly neighbourhood spider-man has vowed to protect.
And if it weren’t an incredibly effective end credits, we wouldn’t have just written a huge paragraph about it. We’re left at the end of Brand New Day, heartbroken for Peter, who somehow feels realer than ever. A comic book hero with spider powers he may be, but he’s just become the most human portrayal of the character we’ve ever seen in any medium. He doesn’t get the protection of being a fictional being; what is lost remains gone. And while there is a spark of hope for his friendship with Ned, what he truly has now is his own evolved self, new comrades, and a revitalised spirit to move on and keep paying his vow to humanity.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is still showing in cinemas worldwide.
