Review: Supergirl (1984) - A Campy Cult Classic?

The setup is brutal and direct: an alien warlord named Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts, all sneer and sinew) orchestrates a massacre that hits too close to Kara Zor-El’s adopted family on Earth. But this time, the threat isn’t a world-ending device - it’s personal. Grief-stricken and ravenous for justice, Kara (Alcock) reluctantly accepts a partnership with Ruthye (Eve Ridley), an orphaned human girl who witnessed the atrocity and possesses her own quiet agenda. Their uneasy alliance quickly escalates into an interstellar road movie, with stops on baroque alien worlds and a climactic confrontation that hinges less on fisticuffs than on a shared understanding of loss.

The journey is complicated by the arrival of Lobo (Jason Momoa, leaning hard into manic chaos), a Czarnian bounty hunter who is less an enemy and more a hyperviolent tour guide through the galaxy’s seedy underbelly. And yes, Superman (David Corenswet) shows up long enough to offer a warning - but this is Kara’s show, and she isn’t interested in the “hero’s code” lecture. The script, adapted loosely from Tom King’s critically acclaimed comic run, strips away the Kryptonian gloss and leans into the messy, bloody heart of the source material.

Let’s get the big question out of the way: Does Milly Alcock work as Supergirl? Absolutely. She brings a coiled, wounded tension to the role that feels entirely earned. This isn’t the bright-eyed optimist of the 1984 film; Alcock’s Kara is a young woman who has already lost everything once, and she’s not about to let decorum dictate her response to suffering. Her chemistry with Eve Ridley’s Ruthye is the film’s emotional bedrock - Ruthye is part sidekick, part moral compass, and Ridley gives her a quiet steel that doesn’t let Alcock steal every scene. Together, they form the most compelling duo in a DC film since Harley and Ivy went rogue.

Craig Gillespie, best known for I, Tonya and Cruella, brings a kinetic, almost punk-rock energy to the action. The fight choreography is scrappy and grounded, with Kara relying as much on improvised weapons and clever environmental tricks as on heat vision. The spaceport brawl, where she tangles with a group of mercenaries while Ruthye picks locks in the background, is a standout - raw, inventive, and funny. But the director’s real trick is knowing when to pull back; the quieter moments, like a conversation between Kara and her holographic mother Alura (Emily Beecham, luminous and tragic), land harder than any explosion.

Jason Momoa’s Lobo is a chaotic jolt of adrenaline - part biker, part clown, part menace. He’s clearly having the time of his life, and his scenes with Alcock crackle with a weird, combative chemistry. But Matthias Schoenaerts’ Krem is the film’s weak link. He’s menacing enough in theory, but the character lacks the dimensionality to match Kara’s arc. He’s a plot device with a bad haircut, and the final confrontation feels less cathartic than obligatory.

Visually, the film is a treat. Production designer Zosia Mackenzie has crafted a galaxy that feels lived-in and grimy - think Guardians of the Galaxy if it had been filtered through a Blade Runner lens. The score, a thrumming synth-and-orchestral hybrid by Michael Giacchino, echoes the film’s tonal split: mournful one moment, propulsive the next.

Still, Supergirl stumbles in its middle act. The pacing lags as the duo bounces from one alien planet to another, and a subplot involving Zor-El (David Krumholtz, doing his best with limited screen time) feels like setup for a sequel we might not get. The film also struggles to balance its R-rated aspirations (the violence is surprisingly graphic for a DC property) with its YA-adjacent emotional beats. It’s not quite sure who it’s for - and that ambiguity, while daring, occasionally frustrates.

Pros

• Milly Alcock delivers a career-defining performance as a broken but unbowed Supergirl.
• The Ruthye/Kara dynamic is the film’s surprising emotional anchor.
• Jason Momoa’s Lobo is a delirious, scene-stealing blast of anarchic energy.
• Gillespie’s action direction is fresh, scrappy, and creatively framed.
• The production design and score build a distinctive, grimy sci-fi aesthetic.

Cons

• Matthias Schoenaerts’ Krem is a one-note villain with no real depth.
• The middle act drags with aimless planet-hopping.
• The violent tone sits uneasily alongside the film’s more sentimental moments.
• A subplot involving Zor-El feels rushed and underdeveloped.
• The climax leans too hard on spectacle over emotional payoff.

Supergirl is an admirable, if imperfect, reinvention. It trades the clean nobility of Metropolis for the grimy, desperate corners of the cosmos, and Milly Alcock’s wounded, rageful performance gives Kara Zor-El something she’s rarely had: genuine dramatic stakes. It’s not the home run some hoped for, but it’s a confident double that clears the bases. For fans tired of the same old Kryptonian song, this discordant, bloody, and surprisingly funny dirge is worth a listen. Just don’t expect to hear the S-shield anthem playing over the credits.