Film reviews: Spider-Man is back and at his best in the action-packed Brand New Day
Clockwise from left: Tom Holland as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Barry Ward and Lorne MacFadyen in On the Sea, Farhan Hasnat and Yahya Kitana in Ish.
★★★★☆
To fully appreciate the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day (12a), it is important to remember how Spider-Man: No Way Home ended. Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland) erased himself from the memories of everyone who knew him, including Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya), to protect them from danger.
Peter is left completely alone, and he is forced to begin a new life without the people who matter most. It is from this isolated starting point that Spider-Man: Brand New Day picks up Peter’s story.
Peter is living as a recluse in a dingy apartment, dedicating every minute to saving the citizens of New York, but it doesn’t fill the void in his life.
Peter keeps an eye on his old friends through social media. Knowing they are safe brings Peter some comfort, but it is nowhere near enough to ease the loneliness.
Throwing himself into being Spider-Man has come at a cost. He is pushing himself too hard, suffering from constant headaches, and his abilities are acting up.
When a tank is driven on a rampage through the streets of New York, it appears to be the work of the villainous Scorpion (Michael Mando). However, there is more to it.
Someone — or something — is forcing people to act against their will. Whatever this mysterious force is, it even manages to penetrate Peter’s mind before he can fight it off.
The tank incident brings Peter into contact with Bill Metzger (Tramell Tillman), the head of the government agency Damage Control. Metzger says he doesn’t know what the invisible force is searching for, but is willing to accept Spider-Man’s help in finding the answers.
Peter’s powers begin glitching again, prompting him to seek advice from professor Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). Hoping Banner can explain what is happening to his abilities, Peter instead leaves the meeting with an idea that could either solve the problem — or make it much worse.
Trying to keep spoilers to a minimum, Peter eventually learns that MJ is in danger and must convince her to go into hiding with him. She has no idea that Spider-Man is Peter, but the chemistry between them is still undeniable.
A young woman, played by Sadie Sink, is brought into the fray. She has a pivotal role but naming her would be too much of a spoiler.
As Peter tries to navigate his changing powers while protecting MJ and getting to the bottom of who — or what — the invisible being is, he turns to the only friend (read: frenemy) he has left: Frank Castle. Fans of The Punisher will be in their element.
Holland, who has grown up with the role, brings a level of vulnerability and loneliness to Peter Parker that would break even the hardest of hearts. Real-life couple Holland and Zendaya share palpable chemistry on screen, while Zendaya brings a sense of maturity and emotional depth to this older version of MJ.
Jam-packed with thrilling action, heart, and plenty of treats for true fans of the MCU, Brand New Day is Spider-Man at his best.
★★★★☆
On The Sea (NA) is set in a fishing village on the Welsh coast. Jack (Barry Ward) is a third-generation mussel harvester. He runs the family mussel farm with his brother, Dyfan (Celyn Jones). Neither man seems driven by a love of the sea or the work itself; instead, they carry on because it is what is expected of the men in their family.
Jack’s brother insists all his sons work on the farm, but Jack’s teenage son Tom (Henry Lawfull) wants no part of the family tradition.
The community is close-knit, with almost everyone earning a living from some aspect of the fishing industry. It is a place where traditional ideas of masculinity still dominate, and Tom’s lack of interest in the family trade is widely viewed as a sign of weakness.
That same macho attitude extends into everyday life. Jack is gay but has never been able to come out.
When Daniel (Lorne MacFadyen), an experienced fisherman, arrives in the village, he unsettles the locals, who distrust outsiders.
Jack and Daniel spend some time at sea, and a passionate relationship develops. Back on dry land, however, Jack refuses to be seen with him. As their relationship deepens, Daniel grows tired of keeping it a secret. Jack is a married man, terrified of the consequences if his family or anyone in the village were to discover that he is gay. Is there any way for him to find happiness?
With evocative cinematography, On The Sea is a quiet, meditative film that challenges stereotypes that still exist in rural settings. It is tender and stirring, with a brilliant performance by Irish actor Ward, who sports a convincing Welsh accent.
★★★★☆
Set in modern-day Luton, Ish (NA) is the debut feature from filmmaker Imran Perretta, co-written with Edna Walsh.
It follows 12-year-old best friends Ish (Farhan Hasnat) and Maram (Yahya Kitana) as they navigate loss, racism, and the trials of growing up.
Ish is struggling with the recent death of his mother.
His family goes about their day in a grief-stricken and dazed state.
Thankfully, Ish has Maram. The kids are still young enough to run around in fields and play games, but the increased use of police facial recognition in predominantly Muslim areas is having an effect. It is becoming increasingly difficult to be a young Muslim male, as everyone is viewed as a threat.
Maram is of Palestinian descent, and seeing footage of Gaza burning on the news frightens him. He fears the Israeli Defence Forces won’t stop at Gaza and that Luton could be next.
Maram looks older than his 12 years and starts hanging around with older teens. When he is stopped by plain-clothes officers and pulled into an unmarked van, he is terrified. Later, he takes his anger out on Ish, who ran away in fear when he saw Maram get stopped.
As the two boys drift apart, their future looks bleak, but can they reconcile?
First-time actors Hasnat and Kitana deliver raw, convincing performances as children forced to grow up too fast. This insightful drama, shot in monochrome, captures their authenticity. Perretta establishes himself as an exciting new directorial talent.
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