A few weeks back, the world premiere of the film Morbius took place. There were no screenings in Russia, seemingly due to concerns about the film’s quality. But can a movie that features Jared Leto, vampires, and Spider-Man references really be bad? The author saw the footage and felt compelled to share thoughts on it.
What is Morbius?
Jared Leto is a remarkable talent. For more than two decades his music has filled stadiums, and his acting has earned an Oscar. Roles in Requiem for a Dream, Fight Club, Blade Runner 2049, and Mr. Nobody are among his most memorable. Yet even such a versatile performer can stumble with certain projects. The Outsider and The Little Things may not have shone, but Morbius carries a different kind of anticipation from the start.
In the story, Morbius plays a charismatic vampire who bites and kills, yet who still searches for a path to redemption. The character is familiar to fans from comics and animated adaptations, where he has appeared as a conflicted antihero who often balances light and shadow. The solo film, however, faced a long and rocky road before it finally reached the screen, with creative disagreements and the broader disruption of a global pandemic shaping its journey.
Despite the delays, the studio pressed ahead. The question remains: if screenings had happened in Russia, would ticket buyers have walked away satisfied? The early reception suggests a cautious verdict.
What do you think of Jared Leto?
The plot of Morbius
Michael Morbius endures a rare, lifelong condition that left him frail and physically limited. He endures daily transfusions and, despite serious obstacles, maintains an unwavering resolve to find a cure that could help himself and other children facing the same struggle.
Morbius grows into a brilliant physician who develops artificial blood and earns recognition for saving countless lives, a breakthrough that earns a Nobel-worthy distinction—yet the ultimate cure remains elusive. In a bid to conquer the illness, he studies vampire bat DNA, hoping it will unlock the key to salvation.
A breakthrough arrives in the form of a serum that restores mobility and grants extraordinary abilities like heightened strength, acute hearing, and flight. But it comes with a grim cost: to sustain his mind and body in a stable state, Morbius must drink blood—otherwise the healing power tips into monstrous chaos.
The plot unfolds with a curious blend of experimentation and moodiness that marks the film as distinctly different from many large studio superhero projects. The mood sometimes skews toward the surreal, reminiscent of a darker Netflix series rather than a typical blockbuster. Yet the film still guides viewers through intense transformations and moral questions, all while trying to carve out its own identity within the sprawling Marvel-Sony landscape.
Still, the narrative often feels uneven. It toggles between dramatic moments and overfamiliar beats, delivering scenes that hint at grand possibilities but frequently revert to predictable patterns. The result can leave viewers with a sense that the film never fully commits to a unique voice, preferring to echo familiar genre rhythms rather than break new ground.
The arc of Morbius centers on artificial blood that loses its promise, forcing the character to confront a stark choice between life and death. The atmosphere nods to familiar vampire lore, but the execution stops short of offering a truly fresh vision. A number of viewers may find themselves grappling with a sense of déjà vu as the story unfolds—almost as if this were a midseason pivot rather than a standalone origin.
The villain emerges early and becomes a predictable foil, with motives that rarely surprise. While the tension around Morbius’ struggle is palpable at times, the antagonist too often proves to be a vehicle for routine conflict rather than a compelling counterforce. The result is a film that leans heavily on the strength of its performers to elevate a lean script that never fully comes alive.
Editing choices also contribute to a perception of lost momentum. A surplus of trailer moments never find their place in the final cut, while some supporting threads seem to drift without purpose. Viewers encounter a police investigation that mostly stays in the background, a romantic thread that unfolds in an oddly staged way, and a series of power shifts that arrive with little connective tissue to the central plot.
Yet the cast brings energy. Jared Leto embodies the vampire with a nuanced gaze and restrained intensity, while Matt Smith and Jared Harris deliver earnest performances that attempt to anchor the material. Leto’s performance conveys the internal conflict that the character wrestles with, even as the script keeps him tethered to familiar cinematic routes.
Ultimately, the film’s strongest moment arrives in a mid-credits tease that hints at the broader multiverse and a possible encounter with Spider-Man, alongside a light nod to Venom. Beyond that final wink, the rest of Morbius feels like a forgettable stretch of footage that struggles to translate into a lasting impression.
Would you go to the cinema to see Morbius?
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