Released over Mother’s Day weekend and abbreviated to MoM, Marvel’s latest blockbuster release is a tale about a mother’s love for her children at its core. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is more of a horror than I had expected, but with Sam Raimi at the helm, it’s hard to expect anything less.
The film takes us on a journey through the multiverse with its titular character, pursued by the relentless Scarlet Witch. With an array of cameos, the film gives us a taste of what exists beyond the characters’ central universe. The true star of the movie is Elizabeth Olsen, though—she demonstrates once again just how wide her acting range is (re: WandaVision) in matching Raimi’s campy horror vibes. Of course, this film is visually and sonically stunning—not surprising from Doctor Strange.
However, my disappointment lies in the way the film sits on the fence between a Raimi production and a Disney cash-grabbing blockbuster. It dipped its toes into a visual style that was a total contrast to what Marvel usually makes, but never fully submerges itself. Maybe Raimi tried to avoid doing too much at once (like in Spider-Man 3), but MoM could have been so much more.
Watching this is like having a lucid nightmare.
