Thunderbolts* - Movie Review

The Movie: Thunderbolts*

The Director: Jake Schreier

The Cast: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer, Wendell Pierce, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus

The Story: After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, an unconventional team of antiheroes must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.

The Rating: 9 / 10

The Review:

Way back In 2012, director Jake Schreier released Robot & Frank, a near-future science fiction film and a debut feature for him that was praised by critics and was a hit throughout the film festival circuit. Now it's 2025 and Schrier is, with the help of a little company called Disney, releasing what could also be considered a near-future science fiction film to theaters around the world. In between these two movies, Schrier has mostly done projects for TV and music videos so it's great to see him have an opportunity at something like Thunderbolts*.

Way back in 2014, Florence Pugh made her feature film acting debut starring alongside Game of Thrones alum Maisie Williams in a movie called The Falling and then she really began to get noticed after she played professional wrestler Saraya Knight in 2019's Fighting with My Family. Now it's 2025 and she has become one of Hollywood's biggest stars mostly thanks to the work she has done with Marvel as former Russian assassin Yelena Bolova and it's great to see her take the lead in a movie like Thunderbolts*.

Over the last several years, a lot of movie goers have felt that Marvel has lost a step as several of their releases since Avengers: Endgame have been considered not up to the lofty standards we have come to expect. For the most part, I would have to agree with this assessment although any studio would be hard pressed to equal the raging success the Marvel franchise enjoyed for over a decade's worth of cinematic experiences. It also becomes harder to repeat this type of success because the stakes have to get bigger and flashier and more dramatic every time a new movie is released.

At least that's been the popular opinion and is one that I don't necessarily agree with. Just tell a good story and make it something that audiences can relate to and you're on the right path. Throwing as much special effects as possible on to the screen only gets you so far if the audience doesn't genuinely care about what's happening in front of them and that right there is where Schrier, Pugh, and everyone else involved with this movie get it 100% correct. The Thunderbolts aren't idealised hero figures that stand for truth and justice, they are flawed and they have made bad decisions and they have failed which puts them all on a level that we can relate to or at least understand.

Each member of this group has some major issues to deal with and, while the story doesn't deep dive into all of that, they are all given enough time to explore the things that have been holding them back. Mental health is explored throughout the movie in very authentic ways from dealing with loss to dealing with drug addiction. At the core of each character's journey is isolation and loneliness which are two things that can easily spiral into depression and anxiety. Believe me, I know. When you feel that you have no one and there is nowhere to go, you turn to artificial ways to either feel validated or just to try and escape from the emptiness, or in this movie's case, the void.

The major similarity between the original Avengers lineup and the Thunderbolts is in how they have continually failed as individuals and it's not only until they learn to work together that they overcome and begin to succeed. I really, really loved this type of exploration into depression and mental health as a way for these anti-heroes to find a path towards redemption. It's only after some really hard lessons that the characters learn that community is the proper path towards happiness and gratitude and fulfillment.

I know this sounds kind of heavy for a comic book movie but it really isn't. The tone and style are reminiscent of the Phase One Marvel movies and it's more about telling a good story than it is about special effects and explosions. That being said, there is plenty of action and a good dose of comedy as well which, for me, made this the most well balanced Marvel movie to come out since Spider-Man: No Way Home and just like that movie, Thunderbolts will hit you in the emotions as well.

This really is a complete movie that anyone can step into and enjoy without having detailed knowledge of all the other movies as well which, oddly enough, makes it fit into the timeline even better than if there had been more of a forced connection. The movie just exists within that universe and that was very refreshing. The movie is also very self aware in a lot of ways. It totally understands that this isn't Tony Stark and Steve Rogers and all the faces and personalities that we have grown to love over the years and yet it gives us every opportunity to get to know these "other" characters that have only been seen here and there throughout the timeline.

Thunderbolts* made me want to see more of these characters and it also made me look forward to what's coming next from Marvel and I feel like those are two very important things that this movie needed to accomplish. It's time to turn a corner and big things are coming over the next couple years from Marvel so this movie was a really great way to send us down that path while also acting as a bit of a palate cleanser, especially for those who haven't been as enthusiastic about the studio's recent efforts. 

Just like the journey of both Jake Schreier and Florence Pugh, the characters in this movie have been learning life lessons, dealing with adversity, and perfecting their respective crafts, all of which has prepared them to come together at this exact moment when they are needed the most. This is about as Avengers as an Avengers movie can be without actually being an Avengers movie. If that makes sense. I'm very glad that the Thunderbolts (and Bob) are here and I can't wait to see how they're going to be involved with things moving forward.

There's a lot more that I want to talk about with this movie but I need to avoid spoilers so let's talk again after you've seen the movie and I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Oh, and don't leave the theater right away, there is a mid credits scene and a post credits scene with the latter being really, really good and very vital to what I was talking about with moving things forward into the next upcoming movies.