Netflix again, superheroics again, but does "How I Became a Super Hero" offer anything new?

Netflix continues to explore the superhero territory, this time with the French film "How I Became a Super Hero" (Comment je suis devenu super-héros). Did this latest story about brave guys in tights surprise us with anything, or did it once again hit rock bottom for the streaming giant? Neither; rather, it's simply a solid piece of work that has things to criticize, but you won't regret the time spent watching it. We'll tell you more in today's review.

Police Thriller with a Touch of Superheroics

A police officer named Moreau (Pio Marmaï) is used to working alone, even when it comes to crimes involving superpowers. Yes, in the society where Moreau lives, superpowers have long become commonplace. But the lone wolf suddenly gets a partner named Cécile (Vimala Pons), with whom he must investigate a nightclub arson case.

It soon becomes clear that a drug has appeared in the city that gives people temporary superpowers, such as the ability to shoot fire from their hands. At the same time, it also becomes obvious that the simple arson case is just the tip of the iceberg that Moreau and Cécile will have to face.

At first glance (after reading the synopsis or watching the trailer), it might seem that "How I Became a Super Hero" is a loose retelling of last year's action film:

Roman Kovalev

"Project Power" — Toothless Sci-Fi Instead of a Stylish and Original Summer Blockbuster

"Project Power" could have been a new Netflix hit if it were a good film.

Open material

• the same premise with a super-drug (except there the acquired powers were random and unpredictable);
• the same focus on local conflicts (no one here is planning to take over the world);
• the same attempts to make a grounded sci-fi thriller.

But unlike its clumsy, albeit more star-studded counterpart, "How I Became a Super Hero" actually turned out to be a tense and moderately realistic thriller. Although it's not too original even in terms of form.

For the lion's share of screen time, the film is a fairly classic police thriller about two mismatched partners who gradually become close, conducting an investigation with evidence gathering, interrogations, and all that. So it's not blasphemous to say that the film's shell is old-school, albeit slightly spiced up with wow-effects (the graphics turned out quite decent for European cinema).

Superhero Therapy Sessions and Other Film Finds

"How I Became a Super Hero" is based on a comic book of the same name, so the film has a not-so-banal plot (as time shows, original scripts in comic book movies often lose to adaptations). There are also several interesting finds. For example, the film shows that having superpowers can traumatize the psyche, and specialized professionals even appear to deal with this. You might say something similar already happened in the series "The Boys", and you'd be absolutely right. But it's still a fresh technique that provides room for both dramatic and comedic sketches.

In this same series of unexpected techniques, we can include the presence of a superhero with Parkinson's disease in the plot. Have you ever seen that before?

And the very method of creating the super-drug in the film turned out to be quite non-trivial. Instead of synthesizing a special substance, as in the already mentioned "Project Power", in "How I Became a Super Hero" it is made from... Well, that's already spoilers.

If Everything Is So Great, Then What's Wrong?

The film really has a lot of great things. You can also add well-acted performances, successful jokes that break the overall pathos of the narrative, and the absence of everything American that is in superhero movies. But unfortunately, it didn't come without obvious gaps and problems.

The main complaint about the film "How I Became a Super Hero" can be expressed with a simple question: "Why are the main characters so cliché?!" If we say that the story centers on a grizzled lone-wolf cop with a traumatic past, how many films can you name? I think the list won't be limited to ten. The same characteristic—cliché—can be applied to Moreau's partner. She's smart, a typical overachiever, a damsel in distress, the one who finds a way to break through to the hardened cop. Boring.

Another downside is the poorly developed lore. By and large, we don't know how people become holders of superpowers (if not through drugs). We aren't told what superpowers exist besides the 3-4 outlined by the script. It's unknown how ordinary mortals relate to superheroes. And where are the supervillains? The antagonist is clearly not one, even though he turns out to be a rather vengeful fellow. I really wish the authors would treat such details with more respect and attention.

Trailer: