Milly Alcock delivers a fierce and funny performance as Kara Zor-El in Supergirl, but the film struggles with ugly cinematography, a forgettable villain, and a jarring plot point involving child sex trafficking that feels out of place in a family superhero movie.
What Works: Alcock's Supergirl and World-Building
Alcock embodies Kara with pathos beneath her party-girl exterior, much like David Corenswet's Superman. The inciting incident—Krem poisoning her dog Krypto—raises stakes, and the alien world of "gleep glops and grimblies" feels suitably weird, hinting at a promising DCU.
What Doesn't: Guardians of the Galaxy Karaoke
The film mimics Guardians of the Galaxy with needle drops and irreverent antiheroes but lacks sincerity. Set pieces are marred by dark sets, poor blocking, and frantic editing, resulting in a confusing blur. The villain Krem looks like a rejected Evanescence dancer and poses no real threat.
The Baffling Child Trafficking Subplot
Midway, it's revealed Krem is a child sex trafficker—a plot point dropped like a hydrogen bomb and never explored. Critics at the screening were stunned; the film treats it as incidental, clashing with its lighthearted tone.
Verdict
Alcock dazzles under the yellow sun, but Supergirl is held back by its kryptonite: ugly visuals, a weak villain, and an ill-conceived twist. It's more "Sup-eh-girl" than super. The film releases June 26, 2026.
