Story
Paramedic Cassie (Dakota Johnson) has a near-death experience while trying to rescue a man from a car accident. After being resuscitated by her partner Ben Parker (Adam Scott), she discovers that she can see the future.
While on a train, Cassie sees the brutal murder of 3 vulnerable teenage girls and, before the gruesome events can take place, she helps them to escape. Julia (Sydney Sweeney), Mattie (Celeste O’Connor) and Anya (Isabela Merced) have no idea what’s happening or why an evil man with spider-like superpowers (Ezekiel (Tahar Rahim)), is determined to kill them.
When Cassie discovers a photo of Ezekiel in her mother’s things, she realises that somehow she’s the thread that connects them all. In order to get answers, she returns to Peru, to the jungle where she was born, and it’s here that she discovers the truth about her past and the potential of her future. Here Cassie learns that Ezekiel was cursed the moment he killed her mother and that the girls she is protecting are destined to take Ezekiel’s life. Unless he kills them first. Returning to the US, Cassie must use her newfound knowledge and find the strength to stop Ezekiel and save the girls.
Themes
Abandonment; revenge; family dysfunction and breakdown; greed and the lust for power
Violence
Madame Web has some violence. For example:
- Ezekiel shoots and kills 3 people.
- Cassie helps rescue a man who’s in an overturned car. She’s trapped inside when it falls off a bridge into the water. She’s unconscious and clinically dead for a few minutes before Ben can save her.
- Cassie hallucinates and sees blood all over her hands as she tries to save someone. She later realises this is a glimpse of the future when those same events actually happen.
- A girl with spider powers attacks Ezekiel in a dream. She is joined by 2 others who help in the attack. Ezekiel is hit, kicked and punched repeatedly until he’s pushed through a glass window and plummets to his death.
- Ezekiel tells a woman that he has this same dream every night. He also tells her that he will find the girls and kill them.
- Ezekiel grabs a woman roughly by the arm and poisons her with his touch. A deadly venom races through her veins and quickly kills her because he won’t let go.
- Cassie catches glimpses of her boss’s violent death moments before the ambulance is hit by a speeding truck. She drags her boss out of the wreckage and tries to resuscitate him but it’s too late.
- Many people are injured in a fireworks explosion and ambulance officers attempt to save them.
- A bird flies into Cassie’s window and dies. When it happens again, she’s able to save its life.
- Ezekiel strangles a young girl.
- Ezekiel breaks the neck of one young girl and then attacks another.
- Ezekiel, dressed as a spider creature, attacks a group of police officers. Some are strangled or knocked unconscious, and all are incapacitated.
- Ezekiel climbs up walls and dodges bullets as he pursues the girls.
- Ezekiel attacks Julia (in a vision). He slams her neck into a table and strangles her.
- In another vision Ezekial poisons Mattie and stabs Cassie in the chest.
- Cassie drives a taxi into a restaurant and slams it into Ezekiel. Ezekiel tries to poison her by grabbing hold of her wrist, but she kicks him away.
- Cassie steals an ambulance and drives into Ezekiel with it.
- Ezekiel is electrocuted after walking through fire.
- Cassie drives an ambulance into a row of parked cars to throw Ezekiel off the roof of the vehicle.
- Cassie and the girls put flares in a fireworks factory. An explosion rocks Ezekiel to the side and blows up a wall.
- Multiple fireworks explode, nearly hitting Ezekiel.
- A helicopter is damaged and explodes.
- Ezekiel tries to strangle and kill Cassie.
- Julia, Mattie and Anya dangle above a raging fire, holding onto a beam.
- Cassie manages to save all 3 girls while Ezekiel punches her in the stomach.
- Ezekiel falls from a bridge and is crushed by a sign.
- Cassie falls from a bridge as balls of fire shoot after her. Her face is burned, and her eyes are blinded.
- The girls are in a potential future fight scene involving a man with a gun.
Sexual references
There are no sexual references in Madame Web.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
Madame Web has some substance use. For example, Cassie asks for a beer at a baby shower but is given a soda instead. Others hold beer in their hands.
Nudity and sexual activity
Madame Web has some nudity and sexual activity. For example:
- Ezekiel and a woman kiss passionately. They are later shown in bed together.
- The girls dance on a tabletop at a restaurant and flirt with a bunch of guys.
Product placement
Madame Web has some product placement. For example:
- Pepsi is shown and consumed on several occasions and a large Pepsi sign is seen.
- Calvin Klein.
Coarse language
Madame Web has some coarse language.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Madame Web is an action adventure from Sony Pictures. It’s a stand-alone movie with some subtle tie-ins to Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise. The plot is fast paced, although somewhat disjointed. The movie has a diverse cast as well as strong, female role models and positive messages about standing up for what you believe in and discovering that you are more powerful than you ever imagined you could be. The movie is best suited to teens and adult audiences.
These are the main messages from Madame Web:
- The mind has infinite potential.
- No matter what path you’re on, you have the power to change the future.
- The past is part of who you are; if you embrace it, you become far stronger.
Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include teamwork, compassion, forgiveness, courage and responsibility.
Madame Web could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real life issues like:
- neglecting one child in favour of another, or because you’re too busy to care what they’re doing.
- using violence to get what you want.
- believing something about someone before you know the whole truth of the situation.