Supergirl (2026) Review: Milly Alcock’s Messy, Gritty Take on DC’s New Hero

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source: tv.lk21

Published: August 18, 2026 | Edited: August 28, 2026

Synopsis:

Supergirl (2026) is a superhero action-adventure film directed by Craig Gillespie. Produced by James Gunn and Peter Safran, the film is distributed by Warner Bros. The film has a runtime of 108 minutes and is rated M for mature themes and violence. The screenplay was written by Ana Nogueira and is adapted from the comic book Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely.

The story is very different from the optimistic Superman. Kara Zor-El, a.k.a Supergirl, is celebrating her 23rd birthday by getting drunk and traveling across planets bathed in red sun radiation so her powers are neutralized and she can actually feel drunk. In a bar, Kara meets Ruthye, a 13-year-old girl looking for someone to help her get revenge on a villain named Krem for killing her family. Kara initially refuses, until Krem poisons Kara’s beloved dog, Krypto. Krypto only has three days to get the antidote. Kara and Ruthye eventually become a team. They chase Krem across outer space to save Krypto and get revenge. Along the way, they stumble upon a human trafficking plot — Krem and his crew are kidnapping young girls. This is a cosmic road movie about loss, identity, and belonging. Its heavy themes include: Trauma, parental death, human trafficking, slavery, and alcoholism.

Critics praised the character portrayal. Kara here is the opposite of Clark. While Clark sees the good in everyone, Kara sees "the truth." She’s tough, vulnerable, prone to rambling, and has dry humor. Many say this is her breakout role. The film brings a new tone to the DCU. Directed by Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya), it feels like Mad Max meets Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s a space western, not a typical superhero film. There are alien worlds, intergalactic rest stops, and Kryptonian language. The story’s scale is small: just saving a dog and seeking revenge. This makes the film feel "human" and unafraid of emotion. Finally, Supergirl has her own identity, not just "the female version of Superman."

However, the film also received criticism. Some called it "fine and somewhat disappointing." The final act is said to be rushed and wrapped up too neatly. Because of its heavy themes — violence, child death, human trafficking — it’s not suitable for young children. It’s not entirely groundbreaking. The visuals are cool and fun to watch, but the story still follows a standard revenge road-movie formula.

This film stars: Milly Alcock, Eve Ridley, Matthias Schoenaerts, Jason Momoa and more.

In my opinion:

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I wasn’t too impressed with this film. It’s no surprise that some reviews call it a superhero movie that doesn’t kicking enough. Honestly, there are several things that made me wonder: is this really how the DC Universe is going to be built? In the previous films, only a few stood out to me, such as Wonder Woman, Justice League (Snyder Cut), and the latest Superman. For the record, I don’t think anything can beat Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy. I still think DC films are ‘messy’ and not as neatly structured as the MCU. Sorry, this is just my opinion.

Now let’s talk about the story. I have to question why this film immediately jumps into an intergalactic adventure. I mean, wouldn’t it have been better to start on a smaller scale first? Street crime, terror on Earth, a meta-human villain, an anomaly or disaster — basically, start with a conflict on Earth first. As I watched this film, even from the beginning to the middle, I felt like DC wanted to collaborate with Men in Black. Aliens here, aliens there, oh Lord, I think there are too many aliens in your film.

Then, regarding the characters. Oh, I definitely need to highlight Krem of the Yellow Hills, the main villain. Out of all the possible galactic narratives, I’m only given a Krem? Hell, if you’re already in space, why not give us a villain on the level of Cythonna, Brainiac, Mon-El, or even Anti-Monitor? Let’s be honest: Krem is no match for Supergirl. Of course she would beat him up badly. And I think Krem was written as not very smart. He has arrows that can incapacitate Supergirl, so why waste time not finishing her off immediately? Even though Krem is introduced as quite ruthless, even killing a child without hesitation. You’ll see for yourselves. I couldn’t believe Krem could be that cruel.

Then there’s Lobo. He’s the main reason I watched this film. Lobo, an immortal god-level being with unhinged strength — even a single drop of his blood can bring him back to life. He’s the strongest antihero I know. In this film, he’s CAUGHT, IMPRISONED, and CAN’T FREE HIMSELF WITHOUT RUTHYE’S HELP! Yes, you’re reading those capital letters correctly. How could you make Lobo like this? He’s supposed to be unstoppable. I was immediately disappointed when the film ended. Lobo… this great character… and that was it for his appearance.

Lastly, Supergirl herself. Hmm, how do I put this? I don’t think Milly Alcock was the right fit for this role. But I understand why she was cast. Alcock seems to represent a young and free Supergirl. You can see it throughout the film: laid-back, carefree, comic relief, not very optimistic, and whatever-persion, this is because Kara is 10 years younger than Clark. But to me, the character lacks charisma. When I see Supergirl, I want to feel safe, assured, and confident, but I didn’t get that in this film. So you could say this is a Supergirl film that starts from zero to becoming a superhero, and it begins in outer space, not on Earth. Her goal also feels weak. At first, she just wanted to save Krypto, her dog, and she didn’t really care about or get involved in Ruthye’s story. Then, here I found another awkwardness.

Krypto was hit by Krem’s poison arrow, right? Then Kara was also hit by Krem’s poison arrows — not just one, but four arrows called "Kryptonite Delight." How did she recover? She just needed to fly a little and get exposed to sunlight. So why not do the same for Krypto? Just take the dog into sunlight — he was only hit by one arrow, after all. From history, kryptonite truly weakens people from Krypton. Look at how Batman was able to beat Superman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)! So considering this is a young Supergirl, what’s the point of overcomplicating it?

This is all just my opinion, so my apologies to hardcore Supergirl or Milly Alcock fans if you’re offended. In terms of visuals, audio, and cinematography, it’s already excellent, on par with Hollywood-level films, and so are the actors. But still, out of the three Supergirl candidates (the other two being Emilia Jones and Meg Donelly), I would’ve picked Emilia Jones. I wouldn’t even mind if Sasha Calle was chosen again. This supergirl is not a superhero film that’s "fun" all the time. The DCU gives us a Kara who is messy, a drunk, and carries survivor’s guilt — not a perfect girl.

For me this one is 6.5/10.

Knowledge Center:

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Superman and Supergirl are the most simple heroes when it comes to their power source, which is the Sun. Actually, what is the content of sunlight and what are its functions for the human body?  We see the sun every day. But have you ever thought about what the "content" of sunlight actually is? And why do doctors + our grandmothers always tell us to sunbathe in the morning? The answer: because the sun is the biggest free pharmacy on earth.

Sunlight that reaches our skin is not just "bright light". It consists of 3 main waves:

1. UVB Rays - Ultraviolet B with short wavelengths. This is what makes your skin red if you stay out too long. But it is also the main key to producing Vitamin D. It is strongest between 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM.  
2. UVA Rays - Ultraviolet A with longer wavelengths. It can penetrate deeper into the skin. Its function is to boost mood and regulate the biological clock. But too much of it causes premature aging.  
3. Infrared Rays / Infrared which are heat waves that are invisible. Their function is to give a sense of warmth and help blood circulation.

As an addition, there is Visible Light. This is what we see: the colors of the rainbow. Including Blue Light. Its function is to regulate the circadian rhythm and make us "awake". The ozone layer + clouds filter most of the dangerous UVB and UVA. That’s why we are still safe if we get exposed in moderation.

What are the main functions of sunlight for our bodies?

1. Sunlight is a natural Vitamin D factory. This is the most famous function. When UVB hits the skin, our body converts cholesterol into Vitamin D3. The function of Vitamin D is to make bones strong, help absorb calcium, strengthen immunity, and prevent osteoporosis. Vitamin D deficiency makes us get sick easily, have brittle bones, and makes our mood drop easily.
2. Biological alarm clock. Sunlight, especially morning blue light, enters the eyes and gives a signal to the brain: "Wake up! It’s daytime!".As a result, melatonin hormone decreases, cortisol hormone increases. We become more focused, energetic, and sleep better at night.
3. Natural mood booster. Sunlight increases the production of serotonin (the happiness hormone).That’s why when it’s cloudy for a week we tend to feel weak and get bad moods easily. This is also the reason why there is "Seasonal Affective Disorder" in 4-season countries.
4. Improves blood circulation. Infrared rays from the sun give a warming effect to the skin. Blood vessels widen, blood flow becomes smooth. Blood pressure can be more stable. It also feels relaxing.
5. Helps skin health and immunity. Short sun exposure helps with some skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema.

In addition, sunlight also helps the body produce Nitric Oxide which can lower blood pressure and kill some bacteria on the skin.

How long should we be exposed to the sun? The key: "a little but consistently". The general recommendation is 10 - 15 minutes per day, between 07:00 - 09:00 AM. Skin on the arms, legs, and face should be exposed to direct sunlight without sunscreen. Why in the morning? Because UVB is not too strong yet, UVA is still low. The risk of sunburn is small.

However, if you stay out too long, it can cause redness, stinging, and dizziness. Too much sun exposure can also cause premature aging, dark spots, and even skin cancer due to DNA damage from excessive UVA/UVB. The eyes also need to be protected. Don’t stare directly at the sun. Wearing sunglasses is the solution to protect your eyes. Glass and SPF 30+ sunscreen block almost 95% of UVB. So sunbathing behind a window is the same as not producing Vitamin D. Fun fact, darker/brown skin needs 2-3x longer sun exposure time compared to white skin to produce the same amount of Vitamin D.

Sunlight is not the enemy. It’s a complete package of Vitamin D, mood medicine, biological alarm clock, and natural warmer. Problems arise when we get "too much" or "too little". The rule is simple: sunbathe for 10-15 minutes in the morning, avoid the sun between 11 AM - 3 PM, and still use sunscreen if you’re doing outdoor activities for a long time.  Remember, the sun already provides a free pharmacy every day. It’s up to us to take the dose wisely.

"Get some sun. Your body, brain, and bones will thank you."