A Flash With No Spark

The Snyderverse persists in every timeline.

- ANGELICA JADE BASTIÉN

THE ALLURE OF THE MULTIVERSE is in its wild possibilities. In theory, it gives storytellers infinite space to let their imaginations overgrow with experimentation and curiosity, to let dead ends become back doors into new vistas. Every fantasy, every whim, every fancy provides a direction in which they can spin the narrative. But as Hollywood has fallen in love with the multiverse, the limitations of a poorly structured one have become more apparent. In The Flash-directed by Andy Muschietti with a script credited to Christina Hodson-there are only dead ends. The once-infinite space is crowded with obvious brand-extension ploys that only temporarily divert from the crushing weight of our present reality and ultimately strand viewers in a story uninterested in anything resembling humanity. Despite its tangled behind-the-scenes history-directors jumping ship, the escalating legal issues of its star-the film is remarkably banal. It's a deteriorating rest stop on the road to nowhere that delivers more of the same gray Zack Snyder slop, remaining stunningly beholden to the cruel, bland worlds of Man of Steel and Justice League.