Spider-Man: Brand New Day — Review
Source: Sony Pictures
I kept hearing that Destin Daniel Cretton's Spider-Man: Brand New Day was a more pared-down Spider-Man story because, unlike 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home, it is not a multiverse film. That description made me realize what I had been missing from the recent string of Spider-Man movies. Growing up, Spider-Man was my favorite superhero, but somewhere along the way my enthusiasm for the character began to fade. Watching Brand New Day helped me understand why while also reminding me why I fell in love with the character in the first place.
Brand New Day is still part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and as the fourth film starring Tom Holland's Spider-Man, it was never going to be as scaled back as Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. Even so, its strongest sequences come when it sets aside the demands of franchise storytelling and focuses simply on Peter Parker, his relationships, and his individual struggles. These scenes are the film's greatest strength because they capture what has always made Peter Parker such a relatable and enduring character: not his powers or the villains he fights, but his humor, heart, and humanity.
Source: Sony Pictures
Spider-Man: Brand New Day picks up four years after Dr. Strange's spell caused everyone to forget Peter Parker. Although he continues to protect New York City as Spider-Man, his commitment to being a hero masks a profound loneliness. He lives in isolation, forced to watch the people he loves move on without him, particularly his former best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon), and girlfriend, MJ (Zendaya). This lays the groundwork for the film's emotional core, which is where Brand New Day is at its best.
The character-driven scenes are incredibly affecting, but I would expect nothing less from the director behind Short Term 12 (2013). If there is one thing Cretton excels at, it is making audiences understand and empathize with his characters. His direction is what impressed me most about Brand New Day. In addition to ensuring the emotional beats land with precision, he brings a lot of personality and playfulness to the film visually through creative shot compositions, blocking, and editing. While the CGI is not always the strongest, the camerawork captures Spider-Man's movements in a way that makes his action sequences genuinely fun to watch.
Source: Sony Pictures
Chris McKenna and Eric Sommers’ screenplay is a bit bloated. The story being told here certainly did not need to be nearly two and a half hours long, and the pacing does not always help in that regard. However, it feels as though McKenna and Sommers truly understand the heart of the character. The more emotional sequences also allow Tom Holland’s performance to shine. He brings a moving vulnerability and evolving maturity to the role. In fact, this is his best Peter Parker performance to date.
This is where Brand New Day reveals both its strengths and its limitations as a Spider-Man movie. It understands that a large part of Peter Parker’s appeal comes from his relatability and that these movies work best when the focus remains on his personal struggles. Yet the film also has to balance that with the expectations that coincide with being tied to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Source: Sony Pictures
It’s not that I dislike crossovers or seeing characters from other movies. I’m just starting to miss when superhero movies were allowed to stand on their own. When Easter eggs genuinely felt hidden instead of appearing simply to remind audiences that everything is connected. When a movie's top priority was telling its own story rather than building toward the next installment.
That is what I appreciate about Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. Yes, those movies tell an ongoing story and are packed with plenty of characters, but they never feel like they exist solely to set up the next chapter. When I watch Spider-Man, I am completely immersed in Spider-Man. I’m not thinking about what is going to happen in Spider-Man 2 because the movie feels complete on its own. It has its own identity, emotional arc, and sense of closure. That’s something I think a lot of modern superhero movies have lost.
Source: Sony Pictures
Fortunately, there are glimpses of that approach in Brand New Day. The film's best scenes are the more intimate ones, where it allows Peter to exist as a person outside of the superhero spectacle surrounding him. Even the action sequences work best when they remain centered on Peter instead of trying to create another massive crossover moment.
Despite my complaints about superhero movies constantly reminding us that everything is connected, I particularly enjoyed the dynamic between Spider-Man and Punisher (Jon Bernthal). The contrast between their approaches to justice creates some of the film's most humorous exchanges while also forcing Peter to confront different ideas about what it means to be a hero. Likewise, the film's antagonist demonstrates how a franchise element can work when it remains connected to Peter's personal journey. While the character is clearly introduced with future films in mind, the central conflict creates opportunities for some of the film's most creative visual moments while adding more emotional weight to Peter's journey.
Source: Sony Pictures
Brand New Day feels like a film trying to satisfy all audiences. The more scaled-down elements where it focuses on Peter's struggles are where it truly shines. At the same time, Marvel fans have grown to love the cameos, references, and setup for future installments that come with being part of this massive cinematic universe. Brand New Day does a respectable job balancing both sides, but that balance also makes the film feel somewhat uneven and overlong.
Overall, I enjoyed Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but I cannot quite say I loved it. There are moments where this feels like the Spider-Man movie I have been missing. It may not be the standalone superhero story I have been hoping for, but it understands that Peter Parker is at his best when the stakes are personal. I also found myself wishing the film would simply let us live in the moment instead of constantly reminding us how this story connects to something bigger. Sometimes I do not want to think about how all these movies are intertwined, what came before, or what is on the horizon for these characters. Sometimes I just want to sit back and enjoy the Spider-Man movie that I am watching right now.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now in theaters.
