Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Many movies and films nowadays speak to modern day concerns surrounding mental health and feelings of loneliness. Spider-Man: Brand New Day, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, does the same. It picks up where viewers were left in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The film follows Peter Parker, played by the talented Tom Holland, after he has erased the memory of himself from his two closest friends, Ned (Jacob Batalon), and his love interest, MJ (Zendaya). Peter has been living alone and isolated for four years, still fighting bad guys, and coming home after a long day to an empty and dreary apartment.

In short, the film was well done. It posed the question of how to adapt to life when it changes, and how to deal with heartbreak, let it pass through to let go, and move on. Spider-Man: Brand New Day examines how love and loving words can be the things that hold people together, and saves lives.

Though the film was exciting and showed great character development of Tom Holland's Peter Parker, I don’t think I’m the only one who’d say that it wasn’t the best of all the Spider-Man movies. (My favourites are still the Spider-Man Trilogy of the 2000’s, directed by Sam Raimi). While these newer films seem to nail the excitement and shocking plot twists right on the head, they also seem to lack depth in story line and depth in supporting characters, resulting in the viewer feeling less invested and lowering the overall stakes of the story.

Zendaya’s character, MJ, is one the audience knows very little about. Other than the fact that she was friends and in love with Peter Parker, we know nothing of her family or hobbies. Apart from her smarts and wittiness, her character seems to lack the thing that makes us all unique: personality and quirks. In The Amazing Spider-Man, Gwen Stacy, played by Emma Stone, had a family life, a father in the police force and was the top of her graduating class. Mary Jane, played by Kirsten Dunst in the Spider-Man Trilogy, loved the theatre and was an aspiring actress. MJ is just a university student. That’s it. Her lack of depth gives the viewer very little to be invested in.

Many of the supporting characters throughout the film also lack this depth. Most are villains or people who only come onto the movie for a short amount of time. However, Frank Castle, played by Jon Bernthal, gave an amazing performance and showed great growth throughout the course of the film. Changing from a rough around the edges man to a soft sentimental friend.

I think the focus on Parker’s development and internal struggles may aid in the theme of isolation and loneliness in the film. From Parker’s perspective, it's better to be alone. This may be why we aren’t let into the lives of other characters. However, with that in mind, the film still does lack a level of gravity.

Nonetheless, the movie was well crafted. Destin Daniel Cretton and his team did an exceptional job, pairing the excitement of the film with the business and vibrancy of the New York City streets, and giving the film an eye-catching colour palette. The film held my attention until the very last scene, and its thriller-like twist regarding mind control might have spooked me just a bit, but also kept me engaged. Its more sentimental moments tugged at my emotional strings.

I’m thankful that the film’s writers hope to open up a conversation surrounding mental well-being and feelings of loneliness. As scripture tells us, it’s not good for man to be alone. God did not call us to live in isolation from one another. We need each other, and when life changes drastically and becomes exhausting and overwhelming, we need to find time to rest. (Rated PG-13 for violence/action and some language. Sony Pictures. In theatres).