Movies

Supergirl Is a Bafflingly Grim, Violent, and Depressing Take on the Superhero Movie

A drunk, depressed young woman fights personal demons and an interstellar sex trafficking gang. Isn’t this supposed to be fun?

Peter Suderman | 6.26.2026 9:50 AM

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(Supergirl/DC and Warner Bros.)

When Superman hit theaters last summer as the first in a new line of DC comic book movies overseen by James Gunn, it was more than just another franchise reset. It was a return to the comic book character's brighter, lighter, more uplifting, and family-friendly roots after more than a decade mired in Zack Snyder's grimdark vision of a brooding, murderous, alien god. It wasn't a great movie, exactly, but it was fun and frequently charming—a movie designed for kids, not just sullen adults. 

So it's rather baffling that Supergirl, the first follow-up to that film, takes the opposite tack. It's dark, depressive, and dull. Supergirl is such a thoroughly grim........

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