Netflix’s Project Power – A Gritty Take on the Superhero Genre (Early Review)

Within the 21st Century, the superhero genre has become a dominant force in the film industry. The genre’s popularity has reached an all time high due to the success of Marvel and D.C.’s ongoing cinematic universes; a concept that has transcended the genre and has become immensely successful. The MCU in particular continues to increase the popularity of the genre worldwide, recently becoming the highest grossing film franchise of all time, surpassing  the likes of Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. However, the immense popularity of the MCU and DCEU, as well the absolutely massive scope of those universes also lend to superhero fatigue. Within the past few years, competing studios have caught on to that fatigue and have capitalized off of it by making contained, smaller budget superhero films that offer a refreshing alternative. Netflix’s Project Power is the latest film to deliver a unique spin on the genre. 

Project Power is directed by Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost; the duo behind the high-octane social media thriller Nerve, as well as a few instalments in the Paranormal Activity franchise. The film takes place in a slightly futuristic version of New Orleans and follows teenager and aspiring rapper Robin (Fishback), who gets caught up dealing a special drug that grants the user temporary superpowers, to provide for her ill mother. As it becomes clear that the pill is a danger to society and coming with serious consequences, Robin teams up with an ex-soldier named Art (Foxx) and a police officer named Frank (Gordon-Levitt) to find the source of the drug.

Anchored by very strong performances from relative newcomer Fishback, Gordon-Levitt and Foxx in particular, Project Power is a relatively well crafted thriller that manages to downplay the absurdity of the superhero genre in a refreshing and gritty fashion, instead taking a more down to earth and grounded approach. The film explores the lives of three individuals who have each been negatively impacted by society and are seeking justice in completely different ways. The unlikely bond between Robin and Art in particular is very compelling and the film is at its best whenever the two share screen time.

Unfortunately, the film also embraces a plethora of cliches from both the superhero and thriller genres, which as a result, hold Project Power back from being something truly special. In the end, the film’s greatest weakness was within its visual presentation. While the film is contained and limited in scope, it is action-packed and CGI heavy, especially during its third act. The range of unique superpowers on display here and the element of surprise regarding what powers each character will inherit after taking the drug certainly makes the film entertaining and tense to watch. However, the accompanying CGI is extremely outdated and the action sequences are both poorly edited and choreographed.

At the end of the day, while Project Power could never quite live up to its exhilarating premise thanks to weak visuals and a bloated third act, it is still an entertaining, well-acted and creative film that is certainly worth checking out for any viewers seeking a unique spin on the superhero genre.

still courtesy of Netflix

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Tristan French