Florence Pugh’s Thunderbolts* Performance Gets Five *s
Marvel is back in critics’ good graces, and all Kevin Feige had to do was make an A24 movie. Or at least, as the movie’s “absolute cinema” teaser notes, it takes a lot of people who have made stuff for A24, starting with Jake Schreier (Beef). In theaters May 2, the latest iteration of the Marvel Cinematic Universe follows a team of anti-heroes – Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) and John Walker (Wyatt Russell) – as they fight through crises existential and otherwise. The one thing that all the reviews appreciate, no matter how much they liked the movie or thought it seemed like an indie drama? Florence Pugh. Below, the Thunderbolts* reviews every actress wants to hear.
“That a set of lesser anti-heroes going up against a god of depression works at all is thanks to the cast, and to Schreier’s understanding that they’re a better spectacle than standard-issue setpieces, with the exception of a shadow-heavy overhead hallway battle. Pugh, in particular, gives the movie an emotional tangibility that makes it feel realms more solid than the last few years of Marvel product. The MCU first got traction by grounding its outsized storylines in something closer to reality, opting to kick off with Iron Man, a weapons manufacturer whose quest for redemption comes by way of creating his own power using technology. It’s funny that, just as the genre is poised to take a turn back toward the retro-earnest with reboots of the Fantastic Four and Superman, Thunderbolts* arrives with the most superpower-as-metaphor take the MCU has offered yet.” —Alison Willmore, Vulture
“Pugh delivers a performance which would win her awards if it weren’t in a superhero film. She delivers her punchlines with expert timing, especially when she is bickering and bantering with Red Guardian. But she can also radiate raw emotion – and all while maintaining a decent Russian accent and cartwheeling through her acrobatic fight scenes. When it comes down to it, that’s why Thunderbolts* is so much better than most of Marvel’s post-Endgame films. It’s not just because it’s a rough-edged, big-hearted spy thriller about lovably clueless anti-heroes. It’s because it has an actor as charismatic as Pugh at its centre.” —Nicholas Barber, BBC
“In many ways, Thunderbolts* feels like a breath of fresh air and a notable step forward for the MCU as a whole, which is pretty remarkable given that this is a cast of characters where the literal point is that they’re the scraps left over from past Marvel adventures — loose ends left adrift. The movie’s two credited writers are established MCU scripter Eric Pearson (Black Widow, Thor: Ragnarok) and Joanna Calo, whose TV accomplishments include writing for Bojack Horseman and, y’know, co-showrunning FX’s The Bear. Together with director Jake Schreier, they create surprising, often fun dynamics between these oddballs, finding amusing and relatable angles to all of these characters.” —Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence of Sound
“Thunderbolts* is nothing if not a story that frames a sense of purpose as the ultimate superpower. Schreier’s movie, scripted by Eric Pearson and “The Bear” co-showrunner Joanna Calo, at least manages to instill the MCU with a new one of those before it’s over. That starts with Yelena, whose ‘disaffected Soviet killer with a burning desire to do something with her life’ schtick gives Pugh enough raw material to create a character worthy of the original Avengers. Perfectly balancing guilt and ennui without ever being too cute about it, the Black Widow alum becomes the nucleus of the ensemble comedy that forms around her, none of which would work if Yelena didn’t so credibly appeal to the better angels of the people around her.” —David Ehrlich, IndieWire
“As with the Guardians of the Galaxy films, what works here is the uneasy tension within a team that comes together out of necessity, rather than any natural sense of affinity. The Marvel strategists were smart to anchor the film with Yelena — not because she’s an especially compelling character, but on account of who’s playing her. In Pugh’s hands, Yelena is facing a more relatable identity crisis than your typical Marvel hero. Where her A-list counterparts are burdened by the weight of what Spider-Man identified as great power and great responsibility, the Thunderbolts resemble a great many Zoomers: They feel overwhelmed and underappreciated, don’t necessarily recognize or believe in their own powers, and are called to greatness all the same.” —Peter Debruge, Variety
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