Madame Web is a 2024 American superhero film directed by S.J. Clarkson and starring Dakota Johnson as Cassandra “Cassie” Webb. It is part of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe and tells the origin story of Madame Web, a female superhero with the ability to see the future.
Plot and setting
The film begins with a flashback to 1973 in the Amazon rainforest (Peru), where a research team led by Constance Webb finds a rare species of spider. Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim) – whom she hired as a bodyguard – betrays, kills Constance and takes possession of the spider. When Constance is about to die, she is rescued by a native tribe, gives birth to Cassie and dies. Thirty years later, in 2003, Cassie (Dakota Johnson) works as a paramedic in Manhattan. After an incident, she begins to see the future – specifically the deaths of three young women – and decides to protect them.The three young characters – Julia Cornwall (Sydney Sweeney), Anya Corazón (Isabela Merced) and Mattie Franklin (Celeste O’Connor) – are pursued by Ezekiel because in the future, they will become Spider-Women who can kill. Cassie must lead and protect them from the current danger, while also discovering family secrets and confronting the man who killed her mother.
Acting and Theme
Dakota Johnson shows remarkable acting ability when transforming into a character who tends to be introverted and quiet, with a supernatural but close to everyday life
redbrick.me. Adam Scott as Ben Parker – a close colleague and future godfather of Peter Parker – brings the “chosen family” element that creates a sense of warmth and connection. Additionally, Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor have good chemistry, highlighting the friendship between the young characters.
Technical and Strengths – Weaknesses
The film has a cinematic style reminiscent of superhero works of the early 2000s with a dark tone, restrained effects, to recreate the era of 2003. However, the film was still criticized for its loose script, many preachy parts, and incoherent action scenes. Madame Web received mixed reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it only scored 11% from critics, but general audiences gave it a more positive review. Some critics such as Christy Lemire (RogerEbert.com) commented that while the film was not a disaster, it was still a “gentle start” and entertaining. However, many others called it one of the worst superhero films, with a loose plot and weak techniques. The film became a meme and won three Razzies: Worst Picture, Worst Actress (Dakota Johnson), and Worst Screenplay.
Conclusion
Madame Web is a fresh take on Sony’s Spider-Man universe – exploring a more spiritual style and focusing on the “foreseeing the future” aspect. Despite its promising performances and interesting ideas, the film suffers from a loose structure and lackluster action. If you love the narrative-driven superhero genre and don’t mind taking a different perspective on superpowers, Madame Web is worth a watch. But if you’re looking for a strong action or emotional film, it may not be the ideal choice.
