How I Became a Superhero – Netflix Review (4/5)

HOW I BECAME A SUPERHERO on Netflix is a sci-fi thriller from France (org. title Comment je suis devenu super-héros). Superheroes are completely normal in this charming film that also has some brutal moments. Read our full How I Became a Superhero movie review here!

HOW I BECAME A SUPERHERO is a new Netflix sci-fi thriller from France (org. title Comment je suis devenu super-héros).  We’re in present-day Paris, but superheroes are a normal part of the world. A bit like the concept of The Boys on Amazon Prime Video. Complete with trending lists featuring the most popular superheroes right now.

Pio Marmaï stars as the Police Officer Moreau and he’s absolutely perfect in this role. The movie opens with him and he’s both messy and very likable right off the bat. Though he is quite bad with his new partner, Cécile Schaltzmann (Vimala Pons from Elle) at first. Also, he reminded me quite a lot of a younger Michael Sheen which made him feel strangely familiar.

Continue reading our How I Became a Superhero movie review below and check it out on Netflix now.

Now anyone can have superhero powers!

In this world, where some people have powers and others do not, someone has been able to change that. Well, in a sense, anyway. By synthesizing the superpower in a superhero’s blood, it can be turned into a drug. This drug will then give whoever ingests it those same powers. Only for a little while though.

Obviously, this is quickly used for all kinds of purposes. Mostly to hurt others (like those who have bullied you for years) or to commit crimes. The latter is a very obvious result while the first is something that tugs a bit more on your heartstrings. Of course, the victim of bullying is relieved to finally be able to fight back.

This is the core concept of How I Became a Superhero. However, as the title indicated, there is quite a bit more to this story!

Netflix superhero movie with so much charm

Despite my initial comparison with The Boys, this new Netflix superhero movie is a lot less crude and brutal than The Boys and has a lot more charm and heart. In that sense, a comparison to the Spanish Unknown Origins is much more obvious.

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Our review of the Spanish superhero movie Unknown Origins here >

Also, it could be compared to the German Netflix movie Freaks: You’re One of Us which also featured superheroes and had a more laidback and charming approach to its story. Finally, the whole X-Men universe is also along these lines since the superheroes do tend to have very specific and limited powers. Not all of them are all that useful or can even be controlled.

You might not know any of the actors in this movie, but it really doesn’t matter. This is a new universe full of lovable characters as well as your classic villian. And yes, even the villain has a good backstory in How I Became a Superhero which is a definite plus.

Watch How I Became a Superhero on Netflix now!

Douglas Attal is the director behind How I Became a Superhero and this is his first feature film, which is very impressive. He did direct two short films prior to making this, but I am admittedly impressed with the pace and runtime of his feature film debut. The runtime is 1 hour and 37 minutes which suits the story really well.

Douglas Attal also co-wrote the script with Cédric Anger (Next Time I’ll Aim for the Heart), Melisa Godet, and Charlotte Sanson (Netflix series Vampires). The whole movie is an adaptation of a novel by Gérald Bronner and I really hope we’ll get to see more movies in this universe.

And yes, as with many superhero movies, there is an end credit scene so do stick around for it. Hopefully, we’ll get a How I Became a Superhero 2 movie soon. I’ll definitely be sure to watch it right away. This is a good superhero movie for the whole family really.

How I Became a Superhero is out on Netflix from July 9, 2021.

Details

Director: Douglas Attal
Writers: Cédric Anger, Douglas Attal, Gérald Bronner (novel)
Stars: Pio Marmaï, Vimala Pons, Benoît Poelvoorde, Leïla Bekhti, Swann Arlaud