Black Widow

 

Black Widow is a standalone, prequel film that picks up after Captain America: Civil War. Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, is on the run from the law. When she receives a mysterious package, she is forced to confront her past.

The first time I watched Black Widow I feel asleep on it. She isn't my favorite Avenger, so to be fair I wasn't totally invested. I decided to give it another shot today and I was actually surprised by how much I liked it. Not necessarily because of Scarlett but more because of her supporting cast. Florence Pugh who played Yelena Belova was able to hold her own against Johansson. She was funny and charismatic. I look forward to seeing her character in the Hawkeye Disney+ show coming up next month. David Harbour who played Alexei Shostakov and the Red Guardian was also hilarious in a self-deprecating type of way. O-T Fagbenle, who I knew from The Handmaid's Tale, was an interesting choice but I liked it. He was a completely different character as Rick Mason, and even got to use his English accent which was cool. I've liked Ray Winstone for a long time, he has played a lot of different roles in his career. His role of Dreykov was minimal but impactful. Rachel Weisz as Melina Vostokoff was great. I liked her motherly, tough and smart role.

Overall this was a surprisingly well-made and enjoyable movie with a plot that was easy to follow and some unpredictable twists throughout.