I sat down at AMC on August 6 to see Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and it came with a personal milestone: it was my first time watching a Tom Holland Spider-Man film. Going in without the direct theatrical baggage of his earlier trilogy gave the whole experience a fresh slate, and overall, I walked away genuinely impressed and thoroughly entertained.

Holland brings a grounded, earnest energy to Peter Parker that immediately anchors the screen. What made the dynamic hit even better, though, was watching Peter and MJ share scenes knowing that Tom Holland and Zendaya are a real-life couple. That real-world history bleeds right through the lens. Their chemistry doesn’t feel manufactured by clever editing or snappy script beats; there’s an effortless familiarity, shared warmth, and unforced rhythm in their banter that gives their emotional stakes real weight. When a scene calls for quiet connection amid all the blockbuster noise, they carry it effortlessly.

The film fires on all cylinders for most of its runtime, balancing sharp street-level superhero action with genuine character beats. Where it stumbles, however, is its pacing in the final act. Toward the climax, the movie noticeably drags. It falls into that frustrating structural trap where a sequence winds down, the music swells, the emotional chords ring out, and you think, “Here’s the credits”—only for another narrative detour to kick in. It felt like it was ending three separate times before it actually wrapped, stretching audience stamina just when it should have been tightening its grip.

Thankfully, the actual finish line makes the extra runtime worth enduring. When the real ending finally arrived, it landed with emotional resonance, tying together Peter’s journey in a way that felt earned rather than abrupt. Despite a third act that could have used a sharper editor’s touch, Spider-Man: Brand New Day proved to be a highly enjoyable theatrical ride—and a fantastic introduction to Holland’s web-slinger.

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