Samaritan (2022)

Samaritan is the kind of gritty, blue-collar superhero movie that feels refreshingly grounded, less about capes and more about bruises, bad neighborhoods, and the stubborn hope that one person can still matter. Sylvester Stallone brings world-weary gravitas and a surprisingly dry humor to a reclusive man who looks like he’s spent decades carrying the weight of a city on his back, while the film’s street-level action keeps the stakes tactile and immediate. Julius Avery leans into a throwback vibe—part comic-book myth, part crime-thriller—so even when the story nods to familiar genre beats, it plays like sturdy, satisfying entertainment. If you want a sleek, quippy Marvel-style ride this isn’t that, but if you’re in the mood for a tougher, nostalgic punch of action with a big heart under the grime, it’s an easy watch.

Samaritan is clearly trying to be a gritty, street-level superhero tale with a bruised Stallone at the center and a kid’s hopeful belief pushing the story forward. The problem is it plays like a checklist of familiar comic-book beats—brooding recluse, rising gangs, “city on the edge”—so if you’ve seen a few vigilante origin-adjacent films, you’ll spot the turns coming and may find it oddly underpowered. The action is serviceable and Stallone’s worn-down presence sells the blue-collar vibe, but the movie rarely surprises or builds a world that feels bigger than its budget. If you want fresh superhero mythology or clever crime plotting, skip it; if you’re fine with a straightforward, violent PG-13 brawler that coasts on archetypes, it’ll do the job for an easy watch.