Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Is More Mind-Bending than Mindful

Note: This review has attempted to remain as spoiler free as possible and does not reveal any specific plot points, locations, or cameos. However, it does comment in general terms on the main characters and their interactions, the themes, and the directing style. If you haven’t seen the film and want to know as little as possible going in, use your best judgment!

Sam Raimi is the second director in the Doctor Strange film series who has a history of horror. If Scott Derrickson‘s 2016 installment had hints of horror laced within its fantastical narrative, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness perhaps brings the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the brink of how far it will tread in this genre. In terms of Raimi’s style, this sequel is closer to a one of his horror films than his Spider-Man movies, and it’s a great fit.

Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, Benedict Wong as Wong, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange in Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios

Despite the fantastic visual flair of giddy terror, the film finds itself trapped with the same issues of the first film, one of them being that Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) feels like something of a passive player in his own story. He plays a big role in this trippy tale of multiverses and dark magic but can’t quite muster the quirky nature to carry the picture as a conflicted and chaotic force. It was a lot of fun watching him play the straight man opposite Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Here, it’s awkward watching him bounce ho-hum one-liners off his straight-faced yet more playful pal Wong (Benedict Wong).

There’s a little hope for some extra character when he works alongside the mysterious new character America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez). As the quick-witted teenager, she seems like she might be yet another youngster in need of a wizard dad. There are few moments, however, where they have the same chemistry he had with Parker. They hardly have any time to explore their respective pasts and problems, and revelations for both come about in a rather clumsy way.

Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios

Thankfully, the film has a lot going on, and there’s plenty of charm in the staging. Strange’s journey through the multiverse is a wild and dark one, where it seems like anything can happen and anybody can show up. The brisk pacing of this surreal adventure (the two-hour running time was a bit surprising) tosses heaps of creative worlds, unexpected characters, and shocking developments onto the screen. There’s rarely a boring moment in this reality-altering picture.

Raimi’s direction is the real star here. He brings out all his trademark filmmaking techniques and tropes with great gusto: dutch angles and eerie zooms create the perfect atmosphere where Strange and company can feel themselves losing control of reality itself. There are a handful of brutal sequences that lie somewhere between the tension of a slasher picture and the experimental nature of Marvel’s What If…? Without giving too much away, there are some Evil Dead–style scenes that felt refreshing to see in a Marvel movie, tapping areas the studio hasn’t gone before.

I only wish that the characters and their arcs matched the intricate details placed into the astounding visual effects and dread-fueled atmosphere. While Elizabeth Olsen’s role as Wanda Maximoff is unique in many ways, it proceeds along a pretty predictable track. The same goes for Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), returning from 2016’s Doctor Strange, who is fun to watch but makes one beg for more. Rachel McAdams is also back as Christine Palmer, and while she certainly has more to do than her first time around, she feels just as much like a prop as everyone in this film.

Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios

The best thing I can say about this sequel is that it has a lot more freedom than I expected. It comes the closest yet to reading an comic-book event saga, and twists and surprises abound. It goes into wild territory and ventures with imaginative developments that don’t feel as bound as usual by the structure of MCU movies.

But with so much going on, much of the fast-paced brilliance in the eye-catching visual effects and camera work sidelines the characters and relies on you already knowing a lot about them. Even after seeing every movie that features Doctor Strange, I still feel like he’s far more reserved than he should be in a story that gets personal. He’s too busy with his multiverse missions to tackle the greater struggles of self, romance, and happiness that are present but rarely explored.

Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has more style than substance, but that style carries it into some wild and remarkable places. It’s worth watching for Raimi’s direction alone, and the many visual flairs, alternate worlds, and surprise cameos are sure to be noteworthy draws. Still, while Strange occupies an odd and mind-bending world, he nearly fades into his own kaleidoscopic background, and the pretty colors and warping textures become more alluring than the question of whether or not he will become a better wizard.