Spider-Man: Brand New Day Review: Peter Parker's Solitude in Marvel's Phase Six

The film 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day', directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, is set five years after Peter Parker erased himself from the world's memory, including that of MJ, to save everyone. Now, Peter is a split figure: by night, he is a vigilante aided by Inspector Jean DeWolff and an AI, while by day he is a ghost watching MJ and Ned from afar. When a telepathic entity attacks New Yorkers, Peter teams up with the Punisher, Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal), and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), leader of the New Avengers. His spider-sense grows more powerful and threatening. The film is a bridge to the upcoming 'Avengers: Doomsday' and 'Secret Wars' in Marvel's Phase Six. Cretton sensitively portrays Peter's melancholy in a gloomy New York, with standout scenes between Tom Holland and Zendaya, who play a paradoxical love suspended on memory. Frank Castle provides offbeat irony, while Sadie Sink's character, kept secret, is a layered figure whose fragility is more interesting than her vengeance, gaining real weight only in the third act. The ending leaves subplots open, fitting the transitional nature of the film. It is good entertainment, especially compared to recent Marvel outings, but shorter in scope than previous Spider-Man appearances. The review also mentions other art news: Alessandro Valeri's light installation in Lecce, Maria Cristina Crespo's Wunderkammer, Fares Cachoux's graphics in Civitanova Marche, and Gianfranco Meggiato's sculpture in Val d'Orcia.