The Flash (2023) | Film Review
This review was written with an acknowledgement of the recent controversies surrounding Ezra Miller. My take on their performance in this film is in no way an excusal of their impropriety. As a writer, I feel a responsibility to separate the art from the artist and to fairly recognise and support the hard work of the cast and crew involved in this film, considering external context separately.
When James Gunn was appointed as a co-CEO of DC Studios, it became apparent significant changes were on the horizon for its floundering Extended Universe. Often tailing behind the recent cinematic exploits of Marvel, the polarising franchise was to be given a quite comprehensive makeover starting with this year’s The Flash. Although not an entire reboot, Gunn intended for the Monarch of Motion to catalyse a fluid reset, beginning a new continuity for a majority of its characters.
Indeed, The Flash is the burst of energetic charisma DC so desperately needed.
Barry Allen, aggrieved by his lowly status in the Justice League, becomes transfixed on reversing the brutal and untimely demise of his mother after discovering his ability to run so fast he can time travel. Unfortunately for Barry, this decision has tremendous consequences. Trapped in an alternate dimension with a younger version of himself, Barry must work to save a universe he doesn’t even belong in whilst relying on his intellect to return home.
Cast in a double role, Ezra Miller impresses as the Scarlet Speedster with a convincing and surprisingly unfeigned lead performance. Reprising his role as Bruce Wayne, Michael Keaton delivers a nuanced portrayal with an aged, somewhat rugged take on the Caped Crusader. Wayne’s parental relationship with Barry, although only hinted at, is a very endearing subplot that intensifies the emotional impact of an otherwise overwhelming third act.
Also returning as General Zod, Michael Shannon may be largely restrained, although this is counteracted by a dynamic and extravagant storyline.
Despite sometimes being inundated by its own chaos and struggle to balance the plethora of present emotions, at the heart of The Flash is a poignant take on loss, family and trauma overall well executed by the ensemble cast. It’s also flush with call-backs and surprises all but certain to oblige the masses of comic book fans. This may be a trend set by Marvel, soon to be threadbare, but it’s a technique befitting for the fastest man alive.
Outside of the plot, the rest of the film is heavily reliant on CGI, which both sustains and inhibits its authenticity. Although some effects may be an eyesore, they largely assist the film in narrating a hugely ambitious and creative story cohesively. It still remains easy to immerse into the simultaneous eccentricity and humanity of the many synchronous plotlines.
All setbacks, in reality, are peripheral. The Flash succeeds in being, for the most part, the renaissance of the DCU. Ezra Miller leads in a sterling performance, with each intricacy of Barry Allen’s many complex relationships solidifying him as perhaps DC’s strongest and most captivating character. Funny, spirited and unexpectedly lachrymose, The Flash effortlessly asserts itself as the new epicentre of DC’s cinematic universe. It’s a major step in the right direction, and if the formula is tweaked further, the next phase of DC films is set to be transcendent.
4.5/5
