‘Supergirl’ Review: Milly Alcock Takes Charge in a Dystopian Superhero Movie So Flat It’s Super-Horrendous
Last summer’s reboot of “Superman” was a movie that provoked reactions all over the map. Some liked it, some didn’t, but even if (like me) you were in the positive camp, the movie was trying to be so many things at once that your appreciation for how close it came to echoing the vibe and style of comic books might have scraped up against your feeling that it was all a bit…busy. That said, there was one thing about “Superman” that perhaps the whole world could agree on: In that 12-minute-long argument between Clark Kent and Lois Lane (mostly a very good scene), the moment when Clark made the case that Superman’s wholesome valor was “punk rock”… well, that was cringe. The second you call anything “punk rock,” it has ceased, in that moment, to be “punk rock.” (It has instead become lame.) And Superman calling what he does “punk rock” is super-cringe.
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In that light, here’s the key thing to know about “Supergirl,” the second outing from James Gunn’s DC Studios: The entire movie thinks it’s “punk rock.” It opens with Krypto the superdog peeing on a newspaper headline about Superman saving a small town. From there, the film introduces us to Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock), who rather than being the spunky Supergirl of legend, saving earthly lives in a primary-colored spandex suit, is an interplanetary drunk in a Blondie T-shirt (how punk rock!), bopping from one arid dystopia to the next, seeking out junk-heap bars on junk-heap planets, getting into fights set to razory anthems by Wet Leg and Halsey. The villain, Krem of the Yellow Hills, is an overly derivative “Mad Max” reject, played by the Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts with a shaved head and scraggly ponytail and rows of silver pellets piercing his face and an accent that might be from Transylvania — think the Lord Humungus meets Pinhead meets Adam Sandler. We’re told that Krem, a human trafficker who leads a group of space pirates known as the Brigands, possesses the strength of 10,000 men. But we’d be happier if he had the magnetism of one interesting one.
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The Australian actress Milly Alcock is 26, but as Kara she has the look and aura of someone younger, with a touch of wild-child ’70s androgyny. She’s like Kristy McNichol crossed with the Feral Kid from “The Road Warrior” in oversize Penny Lane sunglasses. Alcock is likable enough (underneath it all, she often seems like Little Orphan Annie with desert-wastrel hair), but the character as written is so one-note that it’s hard to have much investment in what she’s up to.
Of course, maybe that’s because the movie has no story! As Kara plays hooky from her life on Earth (just because), we see Krem commit a pair of brutish actions that set off what passes for the plot of “Supergirl.” The beloved terrier Krypto gets shot with a poison dart that will kill him in 72 hours; that’s how long Kara has to retrieve the antidote. And then there’s the matter of Ruthye Marye Knoll (these names! Are they trying to make the “Star Wars” prequel monikers look elegant?), who watches Krem slaughter her entire family, starting with her father, who’s an artisan of weapons. She’s able to salvage one of his swords (an artifact that feels very sub-“Lord of the Rings”), and she now has one agenda: to get her revenge by killing Krem. We know that because Eve Ridley, as Ruthye, never stops declaiming this goal or deviating from her tone of stoic petulance.
Kill Krem! Save the dog! Those are the motivations driving the entire not-even-interesting-enough-to-be-convoluted plot of “Supergirl.” Maybe that’s why the movie is full of action yet numbingly flat.
Kara has a backstory, which turns out to be an overinflated CGI bummer. Superman’s version of my-home-turned-into-the-apocalypse was at least short and sweet: His planet was getting ready to blow up, so his father, Jor-El, stowed him as an infant into a spaceship, and it landed on Earth. All very clean and mythological. But Kara, who is Superman’s cousin (she’s the daughter of Jor-El’s brother, Zor-El), was born eight years after Krypton began to implode. The punk-rock dystopia surrounded her from the outset. So by the time she’s packed into a spaceship, she’s losing the family she loves. All of which could have made her a comic-book heroine with a haunted underside, if the movie had a haunted underside.
James Gunn, along with Peter Safran, knew that he was launching DC Studios right into the teeth of superhero fatigue. Gunn got asked a lot about how he was going to avoid that, and the key thing he said was: We’re not going into production on any movie until the script we have is rock-solid. For that was the overriding problem with the superhero overkill era: The films had lousy scripts, which were used as grids on which to layer the visual effects. Gunn was right to want to take the comic-book genre back to well-structured screenwriting basics. So what has he done in his second DC outing? He’s given us a comic-book movie with the worst script I can remember. (It’s by Ana Nogueira.)
I’ve never bought the idea that movies were ruined by “Jaws” and “Star Wars,” but watching “Supergirl” you might well think that they were ruined by the Mos Eisley Cantina scene of “Star Wars.” Because that seems to be the movie’s dominant influence. One set piece after another features rubbery creatures with heads like melting anvils and tentacles coming out of strange places, as if this, after 50 years, was still charming and awesome. (Industrial Light & Magic is one of the film’s visual-effects houses.) Actually, the cantina scene was corny even back then, and creatures like these now make you feel trapped in a Muppet movie.
“Supergirl” plods along, poised between sodden spectacle and snark. Jason Momoa shows up as Lobo, a stogie-sucking bounty-hunter biker who’s groomed like a lost member of Kiss, and he gives the film a jolt of untidy energy. David Corenswet pops up for a few scenes as Superman, and that’s enough to make you wish that it wouldn’t take the whole damn movie for Kara to accept her Supergirl identity. “He sees the good in everyone,” she says of her super-cousin, “and I see the truth.” Dark! I was shocked to see that the director, Craig Gillespie, who made the arresting “I, Tonya” and the fabulous “Cruella,” could churn out a piece of product this generic in its action and its attitudinizing. What happened to his barbed humanistic wit? Maybe Gillespie, who’s Australian, convinced himself that the “Mad Max” Lite trappings of “Supergirl” make it a subversion of the genre. It’s all so desperate to be “punk rock.” But “Supergirl” is a punk crock.
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Reviewed at Warner Bros. Screening Room, New York, June 23, 2026. MPA rating: PG-13. Running time: 107 MIN.
- Production: A Warner Bros. Pictures release of a DC Studios, Troll Court Entertainment, The Safran Company production. Producers: James Gunn, Peter Safran. Executive producers: Peter Chiappetta, Nigel Gostelow, Andrew Lary, Chantal Nong Vo, Anthony Tittanegro, Lars P. Winther.
- Crew: Director: Craig Gillespie. Screenplay: Ana Nogueria. Camera: Rob Hardy. Editors: Fred Raskin, Tatiana S. Riegel. Music: Claudia Sarne.
- With: Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Corenswet, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, Jason Momoa.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
