By Sophie Sands

I sat down on my couch and opened my laptop, unsure what to expect as I navigated to Amazon Video. I purchased my movie of choice, Madame Web, and sat back for the 1 hour and 56 minute long film. I was apprehensive, having heard nothing but bad reviews. Madame Web is a superhero movie that was released on February 14 as the fourth film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. This is not to be confused with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in which Tom Holland plays Spider-Man. It was distributed by Sony Pictures and produced by Columbia Pictures and Di Bonaventura Pictures in association with Marvel Entertainment. The movie is named after Marvel Comics character Madame Web, also known as Cassandra Webb.

Official movie poster for Madame Web, featuring Dakota Johnson and other actors. Image credit: Sony Pictures.

As she only played a minor role in the comics, I had never heard of Madame Web before this movie’s release. Dakota Johnson occupies the lead role, while Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor, and Isabela Merced play the three other Spider-Women. The film boasts a low rating of 12% on Rotten Tomatoes and only netted $20 million in ticket sales.

The movie starts off in the Peruvian Amazon in 1978. A pregnant woman, Constance Webb, is seen foraging through the forest, hunting down an elusive spider known for its miraculous healing properties. She is accompanied by a man named Ezekiel Sims, played by Tahar Rahim, who appears to be aiding her research. The plot develops quickly; Ezekiel’s true motives are revealed once Constance captures a spider. Ezekiel shoots Constance, stealing her spider, and leaves her to die. An indigenous tribe with spider-like abilities attempt to save Constance, but only her baby survives.

At this point, the plot seemed typical of your average superhero movie. The tragic backstory of the main character was established, and one could easily predict the identity of the orphaned child. The setting dramatically changes to New York City, where we meet Cassandra “Cassie” Webb, a lonesome, standoffish paramedic. After nearly drowning on a dangerous call, Cassie begins having visions, which allow her to see into future. 

Poster for Madame Web. Image credit: Sony Pictures.

Ezekiel, on the other hand, has gained significant physical abilities since allowing the Peruvian spider to bite him. However, he is haunted by recurring visions of three super-powered women, whom he believes will end his life. He seeks to find the girls and murder them before they become a threat. Cassie’s limited clairvoyance leads to her to save the lives of the girls, who are only teenagers. By being opportunistic and relying on glimpses of the future, Cassie narrowly rescues them from Ezekiel multiple times. She bonds with the girls and takes on a motherly role.

Cassie finally figures out her connection to Ezekiel through her mother and travels to Peru to learn more. There, she meets the tribe that saved her and bestowed her with powers. She then rushes back to New York, where the teenagers are being targeted (yet again). Using her newly realized mental abilities, they defeat Ezekiel, although Cassie becomes permanently injured.

So, was Madame Web as bad as its critics paint it? Yes, although I’m not unhappy about it. The awkward acting, haphazard plot development, and flat characters made this movie one of the worst I’ve seen. Many of Johnson’s lines come across as cliché and unnatural. Her character development is poorly done. One moment she is aloof and reluctant to take on the responsibility of the teenagers, the next she is affectionately watching them sleep. Another character who stood out to me for the wrong reasons was Ezekiel. He is the most non-threatening Marvel villain I have ever witnessed in cinematic history. His back story is never provided, so we have no idea who he is or how he attained such murderous tendencies. The strange, indescribable accent that Rahim puts on does nothing for his hardly intimidating character. 

As the plot unfolded, it became more unbelievable and rushed. Cassie’s brief trip to Peru seemed like a box on a producer’s checklist, needing to be checked off. Upon stepping foot in the Amazon, she meets a member of the tribe of spider-people almost instantaneously. She receives minimal guidance and returns to New York City joltingly fast. One scene I found ridiculous was when Cassie narrowly saves the girls in the middle of an intersection. She flies through the air in a stolen ambulance, crashing into Ezekiel in what is amusingly his second vehicular collision. In addition, the director attempts to connect the female characters with a sense of family, but it feels artificial. For example, when the girls are crowded around Cassie’s hospital bed after their victory, they tell a nurse they are all “immediate family.” The scene seems like a skit rather than real-life, neutralizing its sentimental appeal.

The ending of the movie left me deeply unsatisfied. The main character is effectively crippled and blind, although she claims her vision has improved since awakening her mental abilities. Major questions remain unanswered at the end of the movie. We are left unsure of how the teenagers gain superpowers, and how they will remain part of Cassie’s life when they have their own families. Though the storyline is unfinished, a sequel has yet to be announced. 

Overall, Madame Web’s directing and acting were enjoyably subpar. Sony’s attempt at mimicking the success of the Spider-Man movies was a definite failure. The film received the lowest ratings for a superhero movie in over a decade, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Perhaps the harsh critique of Madame Web will drive the Sony Spider-Man Universe in a new direction.