Madame Web is a film that promises a Spider-Woman origin story and delivers a mess. The movie, directed by SJ Clarkson, follows paramedic Cassandra Webb as she discovers psychic visions and tries to protect three young women destined to become Spider-Women. It is the fourth entry in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.
The premise is simple enough. Cassandra, played by Dakota Johnson, gains the ability to see into the future after a near-death experience. Ezekiel Sims, played by Tahar Rahim, hunts her and the girls because he believes they will kill him in the future. The setup should work. It does not.
Trailer, via Sony Pictures Entertainment.
The Problem With Ezekiel
Ezekiel is the villain. He has psychic powers and superhuman strength. He knows the future. None of that matters. The film spends its runtime chasing him across New York City, Peru and Mexico without ever making him feel threatening. Rahim is a fine actor. He gets nothing to work with.
Three Girls, One Plot
Julia Cornwall (Sydney Sweeney), Anya Corazón (Isabela Merced) and Mattie Franklin (Celeste O’Connor) are supposed to be the future Spider-Women. They are teenagers. They are hunted. They are also barely developed. The film does not give them individual personalities beyond their destiny. They react. They run. They watch Johnson save them.
A Paramedic’s Quest
Dakota Johnson plays Cassandra as a paramedic struggling with her newfound gifts. That could work. The film does not let it. Her visions are vague. Her motivations are thin. She saves people because she failed to save her mother. That is a decent hook. It is buried under action set pieces that do not connect to her inner conflict.
The Worst Kind of Action
The action scenes are loud and empty. Cars crash. People fly. Buildings explode. Nothing lands. The film’s tagline is “Her web connects them all.” It never explains what that means. The web is a symbol. The film treats it like a prop.
What Works
There are moments. The 1973 prologue, involving Cassandra’s mother Constance, has some weight. Emma Roberts as Mary Parker and Mike Epps as O’Neil add texture to Cassandra’s co-workers. Adam Scott as Ben Parker provides a grounded presence. These elements are isolated. They do not build a cohesive story.
Where It Falls Apart
- Ezekiel is a paper tiger.
- The three girls are interchangeable.
- Cassandra’s arc is underdeveloped.
- The action is hollow.
- The ending offers no payoff.
The Verdict
Madame Web fails as a superhero origin story and as a drama. It is a film without a center. The source material is rich. The execution is not. Dakota Johnson is the only reason anyone will sit through it. She is good. She deserves better.
The film runs 117 minutes. It feels longer. The score, composed by Johan Söderqvist, a frequent collaborator of Clarkson, does not elevate the material. It underscores the emptiness.
Madame Web is a missed opportunity. It has a great premise. It has a strong cast. It has a talented director. None of that matters when the script fails. The film is a disappointment. It is a cautionary tale about ambition without substance.
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