Supergirl Spoiler-free Review

Before James Gunn’s new DC Universe can really find its footing, it needs heroes audiences actually want to spend time with. Thankfully, Supergirl gives us exactly that. Directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Ana Nogueira, the film stars Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El alongside Jason Momoa as Lobo and Eve Ridley as Ruthye. It’s an emotional, cosmic adventure that explores trauma and hope while delivering a healthy dose of explosive action.

Milly Alcock is phenomenal. There’s a lot of emotional ground to cover in an origin story like this, with Kara carrying the weight of both her past and present, and Milly Alcock throws herself into every moment. She delivers a nuanced performance that makes Kara feel vulnerable, depressed, angry, and (later) determined all at once. Comedy is not where Alcock shines the brightest, but she still handles the lighter moments with confidence while excelling in the film’s emotional core.

Jason Momoa looks like he’s having the time of his life as Lobo. He chews every scene with infectious energy, hamming it up in exactly the way the character demands. Then there’s Eve Ridley as Ruthye, who brings so much heart to the story. While the film is about saving Kara’s fur baby, Krypto, the relationship between Kara and Ruthye as they journey through the cosmos, becomes the emotional anchor of the film, giving the larger than life spectacle a deeply personal centre.

At its core, Supergirl is about hope. It’s about believing in a better future and choosing your own destiny despite unimaginable loss and trauma. It’s a story about surviving, enduring and continuing to live for tomorrow even when life has thrown some horrible things at you. Yet beneath all of the grand themes is something wonderfully simple. This is also a story about a girl trying to save her dog. That emotional simplicity gives the film its biggest strength.

Where Supergirl stumbles is in its screenplay. There are several scenes where characters over explain plot points and world building instead of trusting the audience to piece things together. The action also feels like its pulling its punches (literally). More than once it feels like an R-rated film that has been edited into a PG-13 release, with bloodless kills, awkward edits and fight choreography that never quite reaches its full potential.

James Gunn’s creative fingerprints are also impossible to miss. While Craig Gillespie directs, there are moments where it feels like Gunn’s voice overwhelms his. The familiar needle drops, oddball team ups and irreverent, messy humanity given to god-like superheroes all echo Guardians of the Galaxy, sometimes a little too closely.

Even so, Supergirl is a genuinely entertaining trip to the cinema. Fans of the comic, James Gunn’s style and superhero movies in general are going to have a great time. Everyone else will still find a heartfelt, exciting adventure that reminds us why these larger than life stories continue to resonate.

Rating: 6.5/10

Supergirl is in cinemas now, starting 06 June 2026.

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