Thunderbolts film review: This gritty & gutsy movie proves Marvel can still throw a punch when it stops playing it safe

THUNDERBOLTS

(12A) 126mins

★★★★☆

3

AFTER a series of Marvel Cinematic Universe offerings left fans underwhelmed, finally something fresh is on the table.

It’s not the biggest or flashiest addition to this franchise, and that’s exactly why it works.

Instead of world-ending stakes or multiverse chaos, the film focuses on a small group of former villains and anti-heroes trying to survive a mission.

Forget squeaky-clean Avengers; this ragtag bunch are real, flawed and as clueless as can be.

Florence Pugh leads the charge as Yelena Belova, still razor-sharp and stealing every scene.

Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier brings brooding gravitas, while Wyatt Russell’s John Walker continues to be the walking embodiment of overt patriotism.

Toss in David Harbour’s Red Guardian for comic relief, Hannah John-Kamen’s glitchy Ghost, Taskmaster, and a delightfully devious Julia Louis-Dreyfus as puppet master Valentina and you’ve got a team that barely functions but never fails to entertain.

Meanwhile, Lewis Pullman enters the MCU as Bob, a troubled young man who becomes unexpectedly crucial to the storyline.

Secrets are spilled, egos clash, and alliances shatter as this dysfunctional squad is thrown head first into a mission that feels more suicide pact than superhero gig.

Florence Pugh continues to prove she’s a standout in any given role. Her performance as Yelena is sharp, emotional, and funny.

Sebastian Stan brings quiet depth to Bucky, and David Harbour adds levity without turning the movie into an outright comedy.

Is it perfect? Not even close. But Thunderbolts* is gritty, gutsy and full of heart. And most importantly, it proves Marvel can still throw a punch when it stops playing it safe.

Director Jake Schreier keeps the focus on character and story not spectacle.

The action scenes are solid but not over-the-top, and the movie leans into a more grounded, thriller vibe.

What makes Thunderbolts* work is its willingness to explore what happens when people who’ve done bad things try to be better — or at least useful.

It’s flawed, but it’s heartfelt, different, and exactly the kind of change the MCU needed.

With a more grounded story, it’s an overdue shake up of the MCU formula and a welcome return to character-first storytelling.

THE EXTRAORDINARY MISS FLOWER

(12A) 73mins

★★★★☆

3

DIRECTED by Bafta nominated duo Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, this is a hauntingly beautiful experimental documentary that blends music, memory and mystery.

The film is inspired by a trove of love letters discovered by producer Zoe Flower after the death of her mother, Geraldine – letters sent by smitten admirers from across the globe during the 1960s and ‘70s.

Icelandic musician Emiliana Torrini transforms them into an album of delicate, poetic songs that make up the core of the film.

Rather than delivering a straightforward biography, the film treats Geraldine as a muse.

Actress Caroline Catz delivers a great performance as Geraldine, while narration from voices and talking heads like Richard Ayoade and Nick Cave add a surreal edge.

Stylised visuals, striking costumes, and interpretive dance sequences create a dreamlike atmosphere, and

while the film may not answer who Geraldine truly was, it does manage to capture the impact one woman’s presence had on the hearts and creativity of many.

Linda Marric

WHERE THE DRAGONS LIVE

(PG) 82mins

★★★★☆

3

THIS touching film explores what happens to a family’s memories and connections after someone dies.

It follows four siblings – Harriet, Edward, Lawrence and Matthew Impey – as they face the emotional job of emptying their childhood home, a grand old house called Cumnor Place in Oxfordshire.

Their mother, Jane Impey, a brain scientist, has recently died. Their father, Oliver, who was an expert on old objects and a big fan of dragons, passed away earlier.

As the siblings go through the house, their father’s amazing collection of things, especially his dragon stuff, becomes a way for them to remember their past and think about their childhood.

Even though the family comes from a wealthy background, the movie touches on universal feelings of dealing with loss, figuring out who we are, and how time moves on.

It makes you think about what we inherit from our families and the memories we hold onto. This is a powerful reminder of how stories connect us and how complicated family histories can often be.

Linda Marric