Superman

A movie that just gets it. This is a film that had to juggle so many moving parts: telling an engaging, easily consumable story, setting up a larger DC universe, honoring the history of the character (one notoriously difficult to write for), and maintaining a fresh, unique perspective on the superhero genre. It largely succeeds, and while the shortfalls are minor and understandable, this movie has so much creative depth. Firstly, this is a political film. It’s incredibly topical, rooted in modern issues, but also told with enough subtlety to give it longevity. The way it addresses American and global politics is surprisingly sharp. It touches on the Ukrainian and Palestinian conflicts, while diving deeper into the political narratives and human motivations behind them. Beyond the military-industrial complex, it explores how many of these horrors are driven by emotionally deprived men in power who push conflict for selfish reasons. That pettiness is what makes Lex Luthor such a compelling villain. He represents and engages with mirrors of real-world pundits, politicians, and state actors. Men who spin narratives to mask their intentions. People who in defeat, are reduced to seething and tears. So where does Superman fit in? He’s a compelling character and largely a lens through which the film tackles othering. His arc is about the gap between what is alien and human, wrestling with both ethnic identity and shared humanity. Identity is weaponized, against Superman: shown by it being used against him narratively in the news, as slurs, and in the climax when he defeats his own clone, a mindless proxy controlled by powerful men. A symbol of these vague ethnic lines that are used to divide people and blur solutions to conflict. The message, ultimately, is a hopeful one. In a world full of noise, distraction, and manipulated stories, it’s your actions, and the values behind them, that define who you are.