Review: Supergirl – “a sombre, but beguiling hero’s journey.”

Supergirl stars Milly Alcock as the titular superhero-in-the-making, following on from her brief introduction in last year’s Superman and takes place soon after that film. Supergirl/Kara struggles with survivor’s guilt and deals with her problems through alcohol-fuelled partying until a little girl (Eve Ridley as Ruthye) asks for her help. The interplanetary adventure pulls you along for a sombre, but beguiling hero’s journey.

I’m not familiar with Milly Alcock’s work in House of the Dragon, but I found her portrayal to be endearing even when she’s struggling not to throw up. She balances the grungy aspects of Kara but never fails to let the shining heart come through.

Ruthye is on a quest for revenge and tries her best to convince Kara to help her, but when the same villain that killed Ruthye’s family poisons Krypto, Kara reluctantly agrees in the hopes of finding an antidote and to convince Ruthye that revenge will not bring her the peace she wants. The two are a sweet pair, as youthful naivety bashes against hardened cynicism. Though at less than 2 hours, these themes aren’t dwelled on, but at least it’s not trying to waste your time, building up these characters just enough so that when the banging and crashing fights happen, younger viewers and adults won’t be too bored.

The poisoning of Krypto reminded me of John Wick (2014), though Kara isn’t as bloodthirsty as John. This is easily remedied by the inclusion of the bounty hunter Lobo (Jason Momoa), who never outstays his welcome. Unlike the villain Krep, who looks rather uninteresting, but his motivations of inter-planetary human trafficking are truly villainous and sadly prescient in war zones across the world. Cheers definitely erupted when the final act reached its peak.

Supergirl tackles PTSD and survivor’s guilt in a way only a comic book film can, by going on a hero’s journey to find peace. Kara opens up about her loss and her struggles with finding a new place to call home to Ruthye in a quieter moment that is one of the film’s strengths. I went into this film a little cynical, but Supergirl is an origin story that wins you over, and we can see more of her in the upcoming films in the DCU.