Black Widow
A haunted former assassin reunites with her fractured surrogate family to dismantle the conspiracy that made them weapons.
Overview
A former spy must confront her past while evading a relentless enemy.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- propulsive
- emotionally bruised
- action movie night
- marvel marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an entertaining and emotionally grounded Marvel spy adventure elevated by Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh, while noting some formulaic elements.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Natasha revisits the human cost of her Red Room training and the relationships damaged by her life as a spy.
Natasha, Yelena, Melina, and Alexei were assembled as a sleeper-agent family before their personal bonds outlasted the mission.
The Red Room exploits and conditions young girls, including Natasha and Yelena, as assassins.
The conspiracy plot is inseparable from Natasha's reunions and confrontations with her broken surrogate family.
Films like Black Widow, and why
Captain Marvel
female-led spy action, family trauma, covert conspiracies, and grounded superhero spectacle
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
superhero espionage, fractured loyalties, politically charged conspiracies, and ensemble action
Atomic Blonde
female assassin protagonist, international spycraft, sibling-like relationships, and kinetic action
The Old Guard
comic-book espionage, morally damaged operatives, and high-energy action with dark humor
Movie Details
- Director
- Cate Shortland
- Release Date
- 2021-07-07
- Runtime
- 134 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (11652)
Cast
- Scarlett Johansson
- Florence Pugh
- Rachel Weisz
- David Harbour
- Ray Winstone
- Ever Anderson
- Violet McGraw
- O-T Fagbenle
- William Hurt
- Olga Kurylenko
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Disney Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Black Widow about?
- A haunted former assassin reunites with her fractured surrogate family to dismantle the conspiracy that made them weapons.
- What is Black Widow like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Black Widow as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Black Widow violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Black Widow as moderate.
- What did critics think of Black Widow?
- Critics broadly found the film an entertaining and emotionally grounded Marvel spy adventure elevated by Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh, while noting some formulaic elements.
- Which films are like Black Widow?
- Films with a similar feel include Captain Marvel, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Atomic Blonde, and The Old Guard.
- How long is Black Widow?
- Black Widow runs 134 minutes.
- Where can I watch Black Widow?
- In United States, Black Widow streams on Disney Plus.
