Editorial credit: tetesong / Shutterstock.com
There’s a certain inevitability to the excitement surrounding Supergirl, particularly as Kara Zor-El finally steps into the spotlight of the new DCU. Yet what unfolds on screen is a surprisingly uncertain debut — a film that never quite decides who it’s about, and by the end, leaves the uneasy impression that its title character is playing second fiddle in her own story.
At the heart of the problem is focus. The film repeatedly diverts attention to a secondary character who is pushed so aggressively into prominence that she begins to feel like the emotional centre of the narrative. The issue isn’t simply one of screen time, but of narrative justification: she’s given little meaningful development to support the weight she’s made to carry. Her dialogue frequently grates, her presence becomes increasingly intrusive, and most crucially, she is never granted a compelling arc that earns her dominance in the story.
This structural imbalance undermines what could have been a confident Supergirl showcase. The screenplay feels underdeveloped considering the scale of the production, with pacing that drifts, emotional beats that struggle to land, and a narrative that often feels like it’s simply moving from one set piece to the next without meaningful connective tissue.
That said, Milly Alcock emerges as one of the film’s clear strengths. Her Supergirl possesses real charisma and screen presence, balancing fragility and strength with ease. The film occasionally gestures towards an intriguing contrast between her and Superman — optimism against trauma — and whenever the script allows space for this idea to breathe, Alcock delivers. It’s no exaggeration to say she provides much of the film’s emotional accessibility.
Jason Momoa’s Lobo is another standout, clearly relishing the opportunity to inject chaos, humour and swagger into the proceedings. His performance crackles with energy, even if the character is ultimately underused, reduced more to intermittent bursts of entertainment than a fully integrated narrative force.
Elsewhere, supporting figures such as Ruthye Marye Knoll and Krem are disappointingly underwritten. Ruthye’s revenge storyline never develops beyond its basic outline, while Krem lacks the menace required to function as a convincing antagonist, aside from sporadic moments of violence that never truly raise the stakes.
On a technical level, Supergirl is competent and occasionally striking. The cinematography marks an improvement on Superman, favouring wider, more dynamic framing during action sequences rather than excessive close-ups. Production design is another highlight, particularly in its contrasting planetary environments, which lend the film a welcome visual variety. Lobo’s character design, in particular, is a standout — a strong translation of his punk-rock aesthetic.
However, the visual effects are inconsistent, most noticeably in the flying sequences, while the editing struggles to smooth over the film’s uneven pacing. The score and sound design are functional but rarely memorable, contributing to a broader sense that the film seldom reaches true cinematic or emotional lift-off.
Narratively, Supergirl falters most in its storytelling. The opening act establishes a promising foundation, introducing Kara’s fractured emotional state and hinting at a deeper exploration of grief and vengeance. Yet once the journey begins in earnest, the film loses narrative direction, leaning heavily on exposition rather than allowing its themes to evolve organically.
There is a compelling idea buried within the film — two damaged individuals navigating trauma in opposing ways — but it never fully matures into something resonant. Much is explained rather than shown, and emotional weight is frequently described rather than genuinely felt.
The tonal balance proves equally problematic. While the film occasionally attempts humour, the shifts between levity and seriousness are often awkward, creating a sense of inconsistency. At times, this chaos may be intentional — reflecting Supergirl’s internal instability — but it rarely translates into coherent storytelling.
Overall, Supergirl represents a mixed and uncertain introduction for the character within the DCU. It avoids being a misfire, but equally falls short of the confident, character-driven superhero film it aspires to be. Compared to Superman, it feels like a step backwards in narrative cohesion and emotional impact, even if it offers modest improvements in visual presentation.
Milly Alcock and Jason Momoa help keep the film afloat, but the surrounding material struggles to find a clear identity. For casual audiences, it’s difficult to call this essential viewing, and even for DC fans, it feels more like a tentative experiment than a fully realised chapter in a new cinematic universe.
There are glimpses of a stronger film within Supergirl, but as it stands, it remains a collection of strong components that never quite cohere into something memorable.