Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Movie · 2022 · Fantasy, Action, Adventure · 2h 6m · PG-13 · English

Curator score: 1.9/10 (2.6M ratings)

Enter a new dimension of Strange.

Overview

Doctor Strange, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.

Ratings

Director

Sam Raimi

Production

Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige Productions

Cast

Benedict Cumberbatch, Xochitl Gomez, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Jett Klyne, Julian Hilliard, Michael Stuhlbarg, Hayley Atwell, Anson Mount, Lashana Lynch, John Krasinski, Patrick Stewart, Charlize Theron, Sheila Atim, Adam Hugill, Bruce Campbell, Ross Marquand, Andy Bale

Where to watch

Disney Plus

Curator Review

Verdict

A visually inventive but uneven superhero sequel that leans hard into Sam Raimi’s horror-comic instincts. It’s worth it for the wild set pieces, grotesque flourishes, and Elizabeth Olsen’s intense turn, but the story is rushed, the multiverse concept feels underused, and the tonal whiplash can be exhausting.

Best for

  • Viewers who like superhero movies with horror and camp energy
  • Fans of Sam Raimi’s kinetic visual style
  • People who enjoy big studio films with memorable practical-creature and gore-adjacent moments
  • Audiences curious about a darker, more chaotic MCU entry

Skip if

  • You want a clean, coherent plot
  • You dislike tonal shifts between spooky, funny, and earnest
  • You’re tired of multiverse storytelling
  • You prefer restrained, character-driven superhero films

Overview

This is one of the MCU’s strangest swings, and that’s both its appeal and its problem. Sam Raimi brings real personality: snapping camera moves, eerie imagery, jump scares, and a comic-book-goes-horror sensibility that makes the movie feel less corporate than most of its peers.

Worth noting

The downside is that the script feels like it’s sprinting between plot points while the multiverse premise mostly serves as a delivery system for cameos, chase scenes, and one-off alternate realities. The emotional core is thin, and the film often seems unsure whether it wants to be a cosmic adventure, a horror movie, or a character study.

Bottom line

Still, there are enough inspired moments to make it a worthwhile watch for the right audience. If you’re open to a messy blockbuster with flashes of genuine invention, this has more bite and visual imagination than the average franchise installment.

Top Letterboxd reviews

hunter strawberry (2.5★) · 17122 likes

not Captain Carter saying "I can do this all day" and then dying 13 business seconds later

oleff (2★) · 14776 likes

imagine making a multiverse movie and exploring 3 of the lamest dimensions

David Sims (3.5★) · 11430 likes

plot is held together with rubber bands and duct tape, every set piece is brimming with weird visual ideas, main character is in a constant torturous spin cycle...Sam's back!

claudia (3.5★) · 9861 likes

wanda going on a killing spree while altering the fabric of time and tearing apart the multiverse just to say hello her kids is the ultimate girl boss move tbh

Spotless (2.5★) · 9372 likes

No way Wanda did everything for those two annoying shits

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Topics

superhero, horror-fantasy, dark adventure, psychological thriller, blockbuster, surreal visuals, grief, chaotic tone, comic-book spectacle

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