Genre: Action/Superhero/Espionage
Director: Karyn Kusama
Writer: Chad Taylor
Based on Marvel Comics characters
Cast: Ana de Armas, Gerard Butler, Gaspard Ulliel, Jennifer Ehle, Lou Diamond Phillips, Ron Perlman, Alia Shawkat, Terry O'Quinn, Phoebe Waller-Bridger (Cameo)
Plot: In the African wilderness, an ominous feeling is in the air as a leopard hunts for prey. The camera then focuses on a lone gazelle. The gazelle is minding its own business while we know that the leopards are on the hunt. However, there is a slight noise that tips off the gazelle and it spots the leopard. The gazelle begins to scurry away while the leopard begins chasing it down. Just before the predator reaches the prey, running footsteps get louder as a Hunter (Gerard Butler) leaps from offscreen and corrals the leopard. He catches a few scratches as he is able to finally snap the animal’s neck. He wipes the blood from his face, takes a deep breath, and puts the animal over his shoulder.
At his home, he skins the leopard and prepares the meat for future meals. After doing this, the man takes a seat in his dark den and we are able to see his hardened, scarred body. He pours himself a glass of straight vodka and downs a glass before again letting out a heavy sigh.
How many years has it been? Decades? I can barely keep track anymore. Barely.
Felicia Hardy (Ana de Armas) is at her small apartment in Brooklyn, getting ready for work. She takes a long look at an unfinished college application on her counter and a letter from her father asking if she had applied yet. After reflecting on it a bit, she goes on her way.
She arrives at the Sunset Diner, where she is set to work the night shift. Her co-worker Meg (Alia Shawkat) greets Felicia and complains about how her day has been going. As she puts on her apron, Felicia gets a phone call but she does not recognize the number so she ignores it. A bell is heard as a customer enters and Meg lets out a quiet gasp, congratulating Felicia on being assigned his table. When Felicia sees the customer (Gaspard Ulliel), she sees why Meg had that reaction. She goes to take his order and it is immediately clear that she is charmed by him. When she brings the food to his table, she accidentally trips but her reflexes are good enough that she can catch the tray - with the customer also aiding in keeping it upright. She says that was close to becoming a cliche and they both laugh. This is interrupted by Meg letting Felicia know there is a phone call for her.
She answers the phone and it is her father, Walter (Lou Diamond Phillips), from jail. Her ears start ringing as he tells her about his arrest for murder, which he categorically denies. When she finds out what his bail is set at, they both know that they cannot afford it. She exits the diner in tears as Meg looks on. The charming customer asks what is wrong and Meg says she isn’t sure. Felicia goes to a nearby alley and lets out a cry.
Father. Mother. Sister. Brother? All of them long gone now. The scars. The scars...
At home, Felicia can barely sleep. She looks up the murder that her father was accused of committing and can’t seem to figure out why he would be there. She flashbacks to her childhood and we see the time that she discovered what her father did “on the side”. He sits her down and explains to her that he does it so that their family can have a good life. He knows that it seems like bad moral judgement but he is a man of a code and he only does it in situations that hurt the people who deserve it. A young Felicia asks how he pulls off the burglaries and he tells her that a magician never reveals her tricks. However, he does decide to give her a few pointers - unbeknownst to his wife.
At a press conference in Manhattan, Jean DeWolff (Jennifer Ehle) is announced as interim NYPD police commissioner in light of a recent vacancy. Most of her questions are about her being the first female to fill this position and whether or not she is fit for office. The press conference ends with a question on how she is going to deal with the recent spate of incidents involving super-powered individuals. Despite adequately answering the previous questions, she has difficulty coming up with an answer on this one. We smash cut to the front page of The Daily Bugle, which pokes fun at DeWolff’s fumbling of those last questions.
Trying to get back to some normalcy, Felicia goes to a nearby corner supermarket. When she goes to check out, she watches as the total amount climbs higher with each item. This causes her to have a panic attack as she feels guilty about spending any money in a time like this. Luckily, the customer behind her offers to help cover the cost. When Felicia turns around, she finds it is the charming man who was in the diner a few days ago. She thanks him and, as they walk out the door, apologizes for her behavior the last few days. He asks her if anything is up and then apologizes, realizing he hasn’t even introduced himself - his name is Henri (Gaspard Ulliel). There is a spark in both of their eyes, reminiscent of the first meeting in the diner.
She tells Henri that he wouldn’t be interested in a sob story but he disagrees and offers to buy her a cup of coffee. At the cafe, she tells him about her current situation with her father. Henri seems taken aback when hearing this news (even if she gave scant details). He leans in and whispers, asking if her father is the Black Cat. Felicia’s eyes widen and she says “no, no, no” deciding to dip out of this situation. Henri follows her out and tries to de-escalate. He explains to her what he does: he is a black market art dealer and, thus, the Black Cat is a very well known figure in his world. She is still hesitant but is now more open to hearing him out.
He tells her that people in his world have had an eye on her as a potential successor to her father after retirement (since she learned from him as a child). This weirds her out and she asks if he has been following her and he is quick to deny. He says that it is a happy coincidence they met that night. Felicia lets out a brief sigh of relief, if not totally convinced. Henri tells her of an opportunity that may help her father’s situation. The King County Museum of Art has artifacts from Imperial Russia - stuff from nobility that were sold off by the Lenin government after gaining control. The rarest of items is the animal pelts belonging to the Kravinoff family. Felicia looks intrigued.
Henri points out that the benefits are twofold: the sale of these items would reap a steep reward. But also, they will be hailed as doers of good since the noble belongings of these families were colonist in nature and came off the back of lesser countries. In fact, he has an inside man at the museum who is motivated by that very factor and can help execute the job. After taking a moment to think, Felicia says that she is open to it since her options are rather limited at the moment. Henri smiles.
How much longer can I go on like this? The primitivism. The exile...
Jean DeWolff sits nervously at a high-end Manhattan restaurant that overlooks the city. An empty chair waits across from her. Into the restaurant walks J. Jonah Jameson (Ron Perlman), head personality of the Daily Bugle. While they exchange pleasantries, it is clear that these are two conflicting personalities. But DeWolff is honest about the reason for this meeting: she needs to look strong on the superhero front if she is to be selected as full-time commissioner. Jonah makes a snide remark about liking the prospects of George Stacy but he dresses it as a joke. She says that she needs Jameson’s endorsements as he is one of the faces of the anti-super movement. If she lands the Bugle’s endorsement, she will secure her future. Jameson, clearly enjoying this sense of power, tells her he will mull this over and get his people in contact with hers.
Before the robbery, Felicia pays a visit to Empire State University - a place she wanted to apply to out of high school (but decided not to after her mother’s death). She is in awe by the size of the library but realizes that she must evade the workers, who will ask her if she is a student there. She goes to the Russian history section of the stacks and looks for books on the Kravinoff family that Henri mentioned. She reads about the Russian Revolution and the impact that had on the aristocrat class. Finally, she reaches the Kravinoffs and what is said to have happened to them. The mother and father of the family were executed by soldiers and the children - two boys and a girl - shortly after. It is believed that the mother gave the children some sort of experimental sedative to ensure that they would feel no pain. Felicia takes a moment to step back, a bit horrified by what she is reading. She finishes the section by reading that - like Anastasia - some rumors persist that one of the children survived but that is likely folktale.
At a nice restaurant, Felicia meets with Cal (Terry O’Quinn), a museum trustee who gives her a blueprint of the building’s layout. He gives her some pointers on where to avoid guards and lasers and the codes to access the room that has the Kravinoff furs. Visibly nervous, she arrives at the museum and follows the instructions that Cal gave her. Henri is in her ear, acting as a lookout for any assistance she needs. The heist goes smoothly at first until the code that Cal gave her doesn’t work. This puts her in the direct path of a guard. While she initially tries to talk her way out of it, Henri tells her to attack. Not a skilled fighter, Felicia instead uses her agility to evade the guard and get him down. He goes to grab his handheld transceiver but Felicia kicks it from his hands and ties him up using a rope she brought with her to repel from. She uses the guard’s key to get into the room and then uses the tools Henri gave her to break into the case and get the furs. As she is exiting through her planned route, she faces a two story drop with no rope now. Henri is down below as her getaway driver and coaches her through it. She closes her eyes and makes the leap, ending up with only a slight limp. They drive off as police arrive on the other side of the museum. They’re both thrilled and the sale goes off without a hitch.
Back in her apartment, Felicia is feeling exhilarated by pulling off the heist. She turns on the evening news to see a press conference with Jean DeWolff about the burglary. DeWolff says that the lack of surveillance indicates the involvement of super-powered individuals and that she will be monitoring the situation closely. Felicia cracks a smile, knowing that she needed no super-powers to pull it off. A reporter then asks about DeWolff’s thoughts on the Twitter announcement from The Daily Bugle moments ago from J. Jonah Jameson endorsing Stacy for her position. We see disappointment enter her eyes as she says that he is only one voice and that she has the support of plenty of people more important than JJJ.
Felicia turns off the TV and decides to call Henri and ask him his address. He counters this by asking for hers. She again cracks a smile and tells him. When he arrives, she decides to finally act on that initial spark at the diner. However, Henri is the one who pulls away and says that he thinks they should take things slow. She is a bit surprised by this but then says that that is fine (wondering to herself if there is something wrong with her).
In South Africa, the Hunter seen earlier is carving out the meat from a recently-killed animal carcass. This is interrupted by a phone call. He makes his way through his minimalist home and picks up the landline. A voice in Russian informs him that valuable belongings from the Kravinoff family have been stolen from the King County Museum of Art. The Hunter’s stoicism flips a switch and his eyes fill with rage. He says that he will deal with this on his own. It is his voice that we have heard in the voiceovers.
Out on bail, Walter shares a warm embrace with his daughter. He again tells her that he is innocent and that he feels he was framed. He explains the situation: he was met by a young woman who wanted his help with a job. He denied her but then, as she was leaving, she stole the earrings belonging to Felicia’s late mother. When he went to hunt them down is when he got framed. But a head injury he sustained before the arrest means that he can’t recall everything. She asks if he remembers her name or anything but nothing is clicking. She tells him that she is determined to get to the bottom of this. Meanwhile, Felicia begins to train in hand-to-hand combat so she can be better prepared going forward.
At the international airport in New York, the plane arrives with the Hunter on it. We see what he puts down as his name: Kraven. When Kraven goes through security, he notices that the main guard calls in one of his superiors. He is taken to a side room and is told that there has been an irregularity in passport. He is questioned about what he is doing here but he insists that he must be going on his way. He is almost able to talk his way out of it but as they hold him up one more time as he is leaving. He turns around and decides he doesn’t want to talk anymore. He engages in hand-to-hand combat, prompting the other guard to pull out his gun. Kraven kicks the gun out of the guard’s hand and catches it. The guards freeze - scared they will be shot - but Kraven shakes his hand no and dismantles the gun, instead. But he is not done fighting. He resumes the fight and dissects the guards, leaving them bloody and bruised. Ultimately, he has his large palms on each of their skulls - ready to smash them like he had the leopard. However, he decides against it and leaves them to be found - choosing to escape through the ventilation system.
We see a montage of Felicia using her newfound skills to her best ability. She breaks into the law firm that this occurred and discovered that there were security cameras. However, she comes back in under normal business hours and inquires, they tell her that the feeds were cut before the murder occurred. She begins thinking of alternative options and comes across a news story about OsCorp - a technological giant in Manhattan - developing new forensic technology (supposedly to help police). She contacts Henri and wonders if it would be possible to get their hands on that technology. He says that he has no experience with corporations like that but assumes it would be possible. She reminds him of the moral reasoning he gave for the museum robbery and says that this isn’t that different - OsCorp isn't exactly an ethical charitable organization, is it? He sees the point and says they should get to work.
As the planning process begins, we see Kraven doing some investigating of his own. While he has no luck on his family’s belongings, he is able to hone in on Felicia as the main suspect. He stalks her and Henri (by extension), waiting for his time to strike.
The day has come. OsCorp Tower. Felicia repels into the building as Henri once again acts as a lookout. As Felicia maneuvers her way inside, Henri spots Kraven entering through an emergency exit. His eyes light up but he does not inform Felicia. Instead, he enters in behind him. In the building, Felicia navigates the structure to reach a large testing room where the forensic technology is located. It is within arm’s reach before Kraven steps into the room with a scowl on his face. A security guard sees multiple figures on the camera feeds and calls the NYPD for assistance. When the call comes in, Jean DeWolff overhears this and - noticing that this could be a high-profile super-powered crime - says that she will take the lead on this.
Kraven demands to know where the Kravinoff belongings are. Felicia is unsure what to say and is hesitant to reveal. Kraven takes another step forward, cracking his knuckles. Felicia tries to whisper to Henri in her ear but she can’t connect. Out of panic, Felicia reveals the person they were sold to. Kraven thanks her for this information but doesn’t stop moving forward. They begin to fight as they weave in and out of the high-tech laboratory - both agile in their own way. While Felicia trained for combat, she did not train for someone of Kraven’s skill. Ultimately, he gets her down and places both hands on her skull. As she begs for her life, he tells her that is a man of a code and that she slighted his family. Before he can do anymore, a bullet pierces through Kraven’s chest - stunning him momentarily.
He turns around and sees Henri with a gun. Henri says it is him who Kraven wants. Kraven asks why not both. Henri says that it is a good point and lets Kraven try to finish off Felicia. Felicia is shocked by this but she uses the delay to target Kraven’s wound and escape his grasp. She asks Henri why he would leave her vulnerable like that. Henri begins to monologue. When he was young, his family were rich Russian aristocrats. When the Revolution happened, they had a chance to escape to America but his younger brother Sergei’s crying alerted authorities. Their mother - knowing that the end was near - gave them a serum that was purported to give them an extended life. He points to Kraven - Sergei - and says that this clearly worked. He then grabs his neck and begins to rip off a mask of the face we have known him by. Underneath is a slimy pale-white face with no hair and no nose. He says it worked for him as well but had this effect.
He pulls out a knife and makes his way to a wounded Kraven. “Dmitri,” Kraven mutters. He grabs Kraven by the hair and sticks the knife to his throat. Since he cost him any version of a normal life, he says that he has been looking for his brother for a century now - through many countries and many disguises. They called him the Chameleon. He lets out a laugh, having finally been able to draw Kraven out from the shadows. He tells Kraven that he hopes he’s wearing a mask and the knife gets closer to the skin. However, from afar, Jean DeWolff tells him to stop right there. With her gun pointed at the situation, DeWolff’s partner tells her that they should hang back but she says that she needs this. She makes her way into the situation and it leaves a three-way standoff. Felicia is eyeing the technology and if there are any escape routes.
DeWolff attempts to de-escalate but Chameleon isn’t having it. She shoots him in the shoulder, causing him to drop his knife. However, with his other hand, he is able to get his gun shoot her back - hitting her in the neck. Felicia, shocked by this, leaps in to attack Chameleon - knocking the gun out of his hand and into Kraven’s lap. As the other police attend to DeWolff, Felicia instructs Kraven to shoot his brother before he causes more damage. Kraven slides the gun to the police, however, saying that he uses no weapons. Without the upper hand, Chameleon charges at the police and is shot down to death. Kraven sticks his hands up and offers to be taken in - leaving Felicia in a spot that she is not sure what to do. As they come towards him, he says “go” - at which point he springs up and begins fighting them, leaving Felicia enough time to get the technology and make an escape.
A montage occurs in the days after the OsCorp incident. Felicia again breaks into the law firm and is able to gather new samples. This leads her to Mary McPherran (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), who is arrested in London for the murder of Stu Cicero after the police are tipped off. A public memorial is held for Jean DeWolff and it is attended by J. Jonah Jameson among others. The coroner is unable to truly identify the Chameleon given the unique nature of his skin. However, we see a raid of his apartment and his many disguises - including “Cal” that we met earlier.
Walter is exonerated and he thanks his daughter for her help - preferring not to know how she did it (even though he has an idea and is proud of her). He asks if she goes to finally go back to school but she says no - waitressing will do her just fine. She does indeed return to the Sunset Diner, where Meg asks how her last few weeks have been. After a beat, Felicia shrugs and says not too eventful. At home, we see that her real decision is to keep doing this “thing on the side”. At the end, we see that she kept some of the furs for herself to create an updated look for the infamous Black Cat.
The End.
Mid-Credits: We see the leftovers of the crime scene in OsCorp with pools of blood and broken technology being cleaned up. This transitions to the hospital where the police officers are being treated to their injuries. We then hear multiple screams of agony. This sound bridge takes us into an underground warehouse where we see Kraven walking away with his family furs, injured henchman in the background, and a slight smile on his face.
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