Black Widow (2021): Movie Summary Recap

This article contains spoilers for Black Widow movie (2021) as it provides a full movie summary.

Delayed three times from an original May 2020 release date due to COVID19 pandemic, Black Widow by Marvel Cinematic Universe films was officially released last July 9, 2021. This is the first film of Phase 4 of the MCU.

The film is directed by Cate Shortland and produced by Kevin Feige.

Brief Background

The movie is a prequel, as we can say, with Natasha having sacrificed herself for the Soul Stone in Avengers: Endgame movie. The story plot takes place between Captain America: Civil War (where the heroes took sides) and Avengers: Infinity War (where the heroes makes up to fight against Thanos).

This movie has been highly requested by marvel fans due to Black Widow not getting enough spotlight despite her interesting character.

Movie Summary

The story starts with a prologue in 1995. In Ohio, a seemingly perfect family is playing outside, admiring the fireflies and preparing for dinner. Then the father came home needing to tell his wife a cue that this is the time they have to leave immediately, not clearly stating the reason why to the viewers. The kids, who are seen to have been prepared by the parents ahead of time, thinks of it as a vacation trip. But later realizes that they were running away chased by men with guns.

It was revealed that this so-called “family” are Russian spies with the dad, Alexei, and mom, Melina, are just parental figures to young Natasha and Yelena. When they came back home to Russia, the girls are separated to be trained and prepared for the coming induction of super soldier program.

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Twenty one years later, Yelena is seen fighting a fellow widow aggressively, until she was injected by a vial that releases her from being mind controlled. Her fellow widow, while dying from a fatal blow from Yelena while under mind-controlled, gave her the remaining vials that should be used to other widows to also free them.

In the next scene, Natasha is assaulted by unknown soldier who is seen attempting to destroy a briefcase. Yelena reveals that she is the one who gave Natasha this briefcase containing the vials, hoping that Natasha knows what to do with it. They also had a quick catch-up about their past, the Red Room and Dreykov and Natasha’s signature fighting pose.

Their resolve to destroy the Black Widow program and its overseer, Dreykov (played by Ray Winstone) lead them back to their parental figures for help to find the Red Room, where Dreykov can monitor and mind-control each and every Widow with just a click of a button.

After busting their “father” out from the prison and reuniting with their “mother”, they all sit down and talk about how they felt acting as a family in the past – if it was ever real to them. Emotionally, Yelena leaves them thinking that everyone knows it was just an act, except for her, who was then a six-year old girl believing they are a real family. Later on, the unknown solder barges into the house unwelcomed.

The next scene shows Melina walking towards Dreykov, Yelena tied down on a hospital bed for a brain examination under Dreykov’s orders, Alexie and Natasha confined behind bars.

Under disguise of Melina, Natasha attempts to kill Dreykov once and for all, unfortunately, Dreykov is prepared for it. He has implanted his widows his scent, that whoever smells it could never harm him. With this knowledge beforehand from Melina, she impairs her nose by banging her head hard on the table and jumping on him to kill him but was caught off-guard when the other widows came to Dreykov’s rescue.

Yelena arrives on time to save Natasha, who is grappled by one of the widows. She releases an arrow containing vials, freeing all the widows inside the Red Room from the mind-control. The widows choose to leave the place as Natasha suggests. Now, Yelena and Natasha catches up to Dreykov as he is escaping via helicopter.

Yelena successfully kills Dreykov by crashing the helicopter and Natasha successfully injects the last widow with vials to set her free. In the end, all of the widows comes back and meet them, as well as their paternal figures, Melina and Alexie, getting back together as a real family.

After the ending credits, Yelena is mourning in front of Natasha’s grave in the present time. A woman gave her a picture of Hawkeye, who is said to be responsible of her sister’s death. A cliffhanger presents itself, will Yelena avenge her sister’s death and kill Hawkeye whom she knows is responsible for her sister’s death?

What do you think of Black Widow movie? Tell us in the comments down below!

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