2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home was a pivotal moment for 21st century cinematic nostalgia whose incorporation of past Spider-Men Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield caused audiences around the world to lose their minds. As much as hardcore fans were elated to finally see all three previous eras of Spider-Man actors share the screen together, No Way Home was a rousing success in how it finally gave Tom Holland’s Spider-Man a melancholic closing chapter in a pivotal phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Obviously it wouldn’t be the actor’s final appearance as the classic superhero, but it served as a conclusion to the “Home” trilogy that sought to bring a level of relatable growth and humanity to Marvel’s most humanistic hero. While that chapter closes, another begins, with Holland’s fourth solo outing serving as something of a soft reboot for the character and for the MCU after a string of underperformers in the lead-up to this year’s Avengers: Doomsday. With Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton at the helm, the latest adventure for everyone’s favorite Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is the best live-action Spider-Man film since Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2.
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Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is now alone in the world, using Doctor Strange’s spell to erase the memory of his existence from everyone he once loved or cared for, including his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon). Spending the next four years of his life devoted solely to the duties of Spider-Man and finding a work partnership in Detective Jean DeWolff (The Bear‘s Liza Colón-Zayas), Peter has never been lonelier. Through careful Instagram stalking, he witnesses his old friends move on without him, while he lives anonymously through life through the prism of Spider-Man. However, his life is thrown into chaos when a mysterious new foe emerges, possessing the ability to inhabit the body of anyone it chooses. Meanwhile, Peter miraculously runs into Ned and MJ, whose reemergence causes something to change inside of Peter, forcing a new biological transformation. This new transformation causes Peter to evolve into organic web shooters, heightened Spidey senses and new abilities, while also propelling a newfound sense of blinding rage.
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is an invigorating new chapter for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, one that boasts equal amounts of emotional depth and thrilling blockbuster filmmaking. This is Cretton’s grounded, slightly grittier vision of the classic web-slinger which prioritizes Peter Parker’s yearning for human connection over end-of-the-world cataclysm. Brand New Day meets the character where he works best, swinging through the streets of NYC grappling with the push/pull of the duality of living life as an ordinary young man and as a superhero. In many respects, this latest Spider-Man film is the most classic depiction of Spidey since Raimi’s Spider-Man 2. Cretton has always showcased himself as an empathetic director stemming back from his debut 2013 film Short Term 12 and he uses that sensibility well here. Peter’s isolation from MJ and Ned is handled with a strong level of emotional intelligence and maturity. Peter yearns for a love that cannot be reciprocated and he has no other personal connection besides casual phone calls with Detective DeWolff under the anonymity of Spider-Man. It isn’t until MJ and Ned are reintroduced in his life where his stability begins to crumble.
Spider-Man’s inherent loneliness has always been a trademark of the character, which Cretton and screenwriters Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna emphasize in this fourth solo outing, but Brand New Day takes the character’s vulnerability to the forefront. As Peter begins to contemplate opening up to MJ about their past, his emotional turmoil causes his abilities to rapidly escalate. This metaphorical transformation for Spider-Man is a clever way to introduce new evolving stakes for the webbed hero and elevate his usual everyday struggles. Tom Holland gives his most compelling Spider-Man performance to date, with the exchanges between him and Zendaya proving to be subtly moving. Not since Raimi’s original movies has Spider-Man felt this spiritually wounded.
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Cretton’s visual stylizations are far more dynamic and intricate than anything showcased in the three previous Jon Watts-helmed films. Despite the robust highs of the “Home” trilogy, the lack of tactility in those films always felt like a nagging burden that fans such as myself who grew up with Raimi’s textured films couldn’t quite shake. Thankfully, Cretton and his filmmaking team have welcomingly course-corrected, making an emphasis on showcasing Holland in a real, practical suit, utilizing real on-location sets and finding a slew of creative influences to showcase the hero in his element. Cretton’s influences span from the recent Spider-Verse films and even the Playstation/Insomniac video game franchise. Action sequences are coherent and not overly busy, often slowing down the action to replicate iconic splash pages that feel ripped straight from the comics. Even the moments of Spider-Man simply swinging through the city are exhilarating in their immersion.
While Brand New Day is still very much an MCU movie, its cameos and broader universe connections mostly feel organic and aren’t shoehorned in to get audiences excited for the next film around the corner. Given the next film is Avengers: Doomsday, the level of restraint shown here is honestly quite refreshing. Every story beat and character role serves Peter’s loneliness and personal anguish. Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle/Punisher makes for a great new addition to the Spider-Man franchise, finding a delicate balance of staying true to the character and not sanding off his gritty edges while allowing him to fit in alongside a more friendly-friendly MCU film. Frank is shown as a potential dark road Peter could very well find himself down should he lose sight of his morality. The two actors have terrific chemistry that gives Holland’s web-slinger a refreshing new foil to play against.
Some of the more apparent flaws exist smack dab in spoiler territory, namely involving Sadie Sink’s role and its further implications. There is also a blatant villain character whose very entrance could have been accompanied by a giant flashing arrow reading “bad guy”. The film even attempts to treat this obvious reveal as a twist even after a character tells Peter exactly what this particular individual’s plans are. It’s a frustrating narrative slip-up in a film that otherwise doesn’t have many.
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Spider-Man: Brand New Day is an excellent new addition to the Spider-Man canon. Director Destin Daniel Cretton’s film is both a poignant, emotionally intelligent look at a tortured hero and a rousing, inventive blockbuster. This is a thrillingly human and bittersweet film that also precisely nails the personal turmoil of Spider-Man as an enduring character.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now playing in theaters.
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