Supergirl Wants You to Be Uncomfortable

James Gunn's new DC Universe made a confident first impression with Superman, a film that embraced hope without feeling naïve. Supergirl immediately heads in a different direction. Rather than trying to give audiences "Superman with a skirt," it tells the story of a woman who remembers Krypton's destruction, carries that trauma with her every day, and isn't nearly as certain about justice as her famous cousin. That's a smart creative decision, and it gives Kara Zor-El an identity that's entirely her own. Whether it makes for a better superhero movie is another question.

Milly Alcock is easily the film's greatest asset. She never plays Kara as simply angry or rebellious for the sake of attitude. Instead, every sharp remark and every questionable decision feels like it comes from someone who has experienced profound loss. This isn't the optimistic farm-raised Clark Kent we've known for generations. Kara has seen her world die, and the film never lets us forget it. Even when the screenplay stumbles, Alcock keeps the character believable enough that you want to stay with her.

The biggest point of debate will probably be the film's moral compass—or lack of one. The story repeatedly pushes Kara toward choices that Superman would never seriously consider, and it spends a surprising amount of time asking whether vengeance can ever look enough like justice to be justified. That's a legitimate question for a story to ask, but Supergirl sometimes seems more interested in asking difficult questions than answering them. There are moments where the movie mistakes emotional darkness for emotional depth, leaving the audience with moral ambiguity where genuine character growth might have been more satisfying.

Visually, though, there's very little to complain about. The cosmic settings give the film a scale and personality that separates it from the endless parade of city-smashing superhero movies. The worlds Kara visits actually feel lived in, dangerous, and strange. At the same time, the film occasionally falls into a trap that's become all too common in modern franchise filmmaking: introducing characters and plot threads that feel designed to advertise future movies instead of strengthening the one you're currently watching. Those moments briefly pull the audience out of Kara's story just when it should have their complete attention.

In the end, Supergirl deserves credit for taking risks. It would have been easy to make a lighter, safer companion piece to Superman. Instead, the filmmakers chose a more challenging road, one that won't work for everyone but at least has something to say. I don't think every creative gamble pays off, and there are stretches where the film seems determined to be different simply for the sake of being different. Even so, I'd rather watch a superhero movie that reaches beyond the formula than one that's content to repeat it. Supergirl may not hit every target, but it proves the new DC Universe is willing to swing for the fences.