Black Widow – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Black Widow

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2021

64%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Natasha finally gets her solo film—too bad it arrived after Endgame and feels like homework you forgot to turn in.

6.6/10

79%

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Black Widow

movie

PG-13, 2021

64%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Natasha finally gets her solo film—too bad it arrived after Endgame and feels like homework you forgot to turn in.

6.6

79%

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6.6/10

79%

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Screenwise Verdict

Black Widow is a perfectly adequate Marvel movie that arrived about five years too late. It's got the action beats you expect, some genuinely good performances (Florence Pugh is the real MVP), and tackles heavier themes than your average superhero flick.

The problem? It feels like contractual obligation filmmaking. Natasha deserved this solo outing before she died in Endgame, and watching it now feels like reading a prequel nobody asked for. The 6.6 IMDb and 2.9 Letterboxd ratings tell the story: it's fine, it's watchable, but nobody's calling it essential.

For families, it's a decent option if your kids are already MCU fans and can handle the darker themes around the Red Room. The sisterhood angle is genuinely good, and there's real substance about bodily autonomy and breaking cycles of abuse. Just know you're getting middle-tier Marvel, not top-shelf stuff.

Age Fit

Best for ages 11-12+ who are already comfortable with MCU action and can handle heavier themes about trauma and exploitation. Adults will find it watchable but middling—it's fine background viewing for Marvel completists.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Black Widow features strong themes of family bonds (chosen family, sisterhood) and redemption, with Natasha confronting her past and breaking cycles of abuse. However, the film centers on a Soviet spy program that trafficked and brainwashed young girls, which is emotionally heavy. The tone is darker than typical MCU fare, dealing with trauma and exploitation, though it models resilience and cooperation among the main characters.

Imaginative

Standard MCU action-adventure formula with some interesting spy-thriller elements and Cold War espionage vibes. The Red Room concept and the family dynamics add flavor, but the film doesn't break new ground creatively. It's competently made but follows a predictable superhero origin-story-in-reverse structure. Letterboxd's 2.9/5 and IMDb's 6.6/10 suggest audiences found it serviceable but uninspired.

Safe

Appropriate for the PG-13 superhero audience with expected MCU action violence (explosions, hand-to-hand combat, gunfire) but no gore or graphic content. The disturbing premise—a program that sterilizes and mind-controls young women—is handled without explicit visuals but is thematically dark. No sexual content or nudity. Common Sense Media's age 12 recommendation aligns with typical Marvel fare. Parents know what they're getting with an MCU film.

Enriching

Explores themes of agency, bodily autonomy, breaking free from control, and the lasting impact of childhood trauma. Strong female characters throughout, with nuanced portrayals of sisterhood and chosen family. Addresses human trafficking and exploitation in a superhero context. The film offers discussion points about redemption and taking responsibility for past actions. Entertaining enough with solid action sequences, though the 79% critics/91% audience split on RT suggests mixed reception on execution.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Strong themes of sisterhood, chosen family, and breaking free from control—Florence Pugh's Yelena steals every scene
Addresses serious topics like human trafficking and bodily autonomy within a superhero framework, giving parents real conversation material
Features capable, complex female characters throughout without making a big deal about it
Solid action sequences and spy-thriller vibes that differentiate it slightly from standard MCU formula

⚠

What to Watch For

The Red Room premise—young girls trafficked, brainwashed, and forcibly sterilized—is disturbing even if not shown graphically; definitely a conversation topic for younger viewers
Standard superhero violence throughout (explosions, fights, gunfire) but nothing beyond typical Marvel fare
The film's placement in MCU timeline (between Civil War and Infinity War) makes it feel like an afterthought, which might confuse kids tracking the larger story
Some emotional intensity around family trauma and abuse that might hit differently depending on your kid's experiences

Conversation Starters

"What did you think about the 'family' dynamic between Natasha, Yelena, Alexei, and Melina? Can people who aren't related by blood be real family?"
"The Red Room took away the girls' choices about their own bodies and lives. Why is having control over your own life so important?"
"Natasha talks about having 'red in her ledger'—things she's done that she regrets. How do people make up for mistakes from their past?"
"Why do you think Dreykov believed he could control people by taking away their free will? What makes someone want that kind of power?"

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