Black Widow (2021)

We watched Black Widow together and spent an hour talking about breaking free from programming afterward. That kind of conversation doesn't happen often. The film gives you something real to think about together.

I went into Black Widow knowing nothing — no trailer, no plot summary. I strongly recommend that approach. The chosen family hits much harder when you haven't been primed for it. Go in cold.

Black Widow deals with chosen family in a way that's genuinely uncomfortable at times. But that discomfort is the point. Cate Shortland never lets you look away, and the film is better for it.

I've seen Black Widow multiple times now and it just keeps getting better. the spy thriller aesthetic is something rarely matched in cinema. If you haven't watched it yet, clear your evening.

Some elements of Black Widow show their age, but the core of it — breaking free from programming, the family dynamic humour — hasn't diminished at all. Films this good age better than almost anything else.

I usually avoid this kind of film but gave Black Widow a chance after constant recommendations. Completely converted. Cate Shortland transcends genre entirely. It works as pure human drama first.

There are scenes in cinema you never forget. For me, the Budapest flashback reveal in Black Widow is one of them. Cate Shortland constructs it with total precision and it lands exactly as intended. Pure craft.

Black Widow has been praised so heavily that no film could live up completely. It's an excellent film — the family dynamic humour is genuinely remarkable — but it's not the untouchable masterpiece some claim.

Every actor brings something to Black Widow, but the lead performance is genuinely extraordinary. The subtlety involved, the way the character changes without announcing it — it's a masterclass.

I first watched Black Widow as a teenager and thought it was fine. Rewatched at 30 and it hit completely differently. The confronting a past of manipulation undercurrent makes total sense now in a way it didn't before.