Thunderbolts*

Florence Pugh's Yelena is having an existential crisis. She carries out her assassinations and spy missions with the ennui of a French shoe model. Not only is she an anti-hero but she is firmly “anti-hero.” Like most heroes in most things, though, she gets dragged reluctantly into saving the day, only because she’s taken a liking to “Bob”, a lab-made super-soldier as confused as she is about the world and its supposed protectors. Akin to DCs Suicide Squad, a rag-tag motley crew of malcontents must team up and prevent a catastrophe, and crack wise as often as possible during the ordeal. It works, I think. Mainly because the plot is relatively easy to follow and there’s a very imperfect grump driving the action. Pugh is so good at acting bored, I almost suspect that she’s phoning it in and she wouldn’t normally be caught dead in this genre. But the whole cast is that way – outsiders being flippant, as though they’re not being paid enough. God forbid this surly crew should get a gig they care about.