Film is a wide, varied medium which throws up an array of possibilities.  When I love a small, little-known movie, it’s great to champion it amongst friends and colleagues.  Even if only a handful of folks take up the recommendation, it’s worth it (e.g. Sirāt earlier in this year).  On the flipside, I enjoy the buzz of a huge blockbuster which millions have been anticipating for months.  These flicks are critic-proof and need no extra publicity, but it’s fun in seeing if the finished product lived up to the hype.

Given it’s the middle of the American summer, it’s that later end of the spectrum where we now find ourselves.  Two weeks ago, The Odyssey had the highest grossing global opening of any film in 2026 and now, it’s a near-certainty to be surpassed by Spider-Man: Brand New Day.  Whether you like these movies or not (and I liked them both), it’s wonderful to see them spoken about widely and generate much-needed ticket sales for movie theatres across the world.  It’s also cool for audiences to see them in packed cinemas where those around them create a live background track of laughs and gasps.

He began his career in a production of Billy Elliot the Musical on West End (I love that show) and regardless of where life takes him from here, Tom Holland will be forever recognised as Spider-Man.  He first slipped into the famous red and blue suit as a 21-year-old in Spider-Man: Homecoming and now, nine years later, he reprises the role for a 4^th time in a standalone movie.  The success of the franchise is a testament to Holland being a perfect fit as Spider-Man.  Is it because of his youthful cheekiness?  Or more the way he captures the character’s complex sensibilities?  Regardless, the public has bought in and I don’t blame them.

I like the strategic direction of Brand New Day.  It doesn’t want to be a simple, action-heavy film with Spider-Man defeating more bad guys.  It takes a different approach with the opening half being a mystery in the sense that no villain has been identified and Spidey is grappling with unexplained problems connected to his DNA.  Where is it all going?  As the pieces of the puzzle fit together, the second half shifts the genre into something more dramatic.  Yes, there are big battle scenes, but the screenwriters make the wise choice to focus on Spider-Man’s vulnerabilities.  Watching him grapple with complex scenarios where it’s hard to discern right from wrong… that’s more interesting to me than a punch-up.

The themes aren’t wildly original.  Being a superhero is tough and even they need a work-life balance!  It’s also too long at 145 minutes and certain subplots could easily have been cut (did we really need Florence Pugh?)  Still, I like the way director Destin Daniel Cretton (Just Mercy) weaves it together in a convincing manner.  When it’s time for the emotions to kick in, Cretton delivers.  There are several examples but without giving away plot points, I’ll cite the final scene as my favourite.

Other superhero flicks have flopped in recent years but Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be a hit both critically and financially.  Add me to the list of supporters.