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.

The most ironic thing about the reaction to Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is that so many people are treating Nolan like a god when one of the film's most significant lines is Odysseus' warning: "Don't look for gods in men; you'll just be disappointed." For years, it has felt as though audiences have placed Nolan on a pedestal. Elevating any filmmaker to that status ultimately does a disservice not only to the artist, but also to ourselves, because it discourages us from engaging with their work critically. Prior to seeing the film, I came across early reactions that hailed The Odyssey as one of the greatest films ever made, as if we were witnessing cinematic history in real time. To be fair, the film does represent a substantial technical achievement as the first feature film shot entirely on IMAX film cameras. However, that accomplishment alone does not make it a masterpiece. While people are entitled to their opinions, I disagree with the hyperbole surrounding the film. The highest praise I would award Nolan's adaptation is that it may be one of the best versions of Homer's The Odyssey ever brought to the screen. That said, I suspect I would have been more impressed by Nolan's film if I were less familiar with Homer's epic.

Spoiler-free video review of Kristoffer Borgli’s film The Drama starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson.