dir. S. J. Clarkson
Superhero movies are becoming tiresome by default, but Madame Web takes it to a whole new level. Cassie (Dakota Johnson) embraces her spider powers, and strives to save three teenage girls who will also one day embrace their spider powers from a malevolent man who’s already embraced his spider powers. Said spider powers seem to range from defying gravity to premonitions and astral projection, depending on what works at that moment for the plot (though “plot” is a strong word for what is simply a series of people making ludicrous decisions for no reason). Each of the teenage girls is a one-dimensional stereotype, while it’s frustratingly convenient that all three of these chosen heroines happen to live in the same small area. They dutifully follow Cassie around despite her unhinged, erratic behaviour; it’s never clear whether super powers are widely accepted to exist in Madame Web or not, but precisely no one behaves naturally when forced to contend with them. The dialogue is almost entirely stilted exposition, and many story threads are randomly picked up then abandoned. A woman goes into labour – does she have her baby safely? Whatever happened to Cassie’s cat? But the biggest question, which lingers long after the movie’s close, is why Madame Web ever got made at all.
BMDb 