Movie critic Hideo Kojima has finally published his Spider-Man: Brand New Day review, and it turns out he “really enjoyed” its take on a “lonely Peter Parker.”
The cinephile, who also happens to be the mind behind game franchises like Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding, took to X/Twitter to unleash his thoughts on the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie. Coming in at a little less than 200 words and 1000 characters, it’s safe to say he found a lot to think about in Tom Holland’s latest swing at Spidey.
“A lonely hero. A lonely Spidey. A lonely Peter Parker,” Kojima said. “It felt fresh, and I really enjoyed it.”
Followers know that Kojima will typically put a little extra thought into a longer review for movies that stuck with him, while the ones that didn’t usually only get a sentence, if that. Spider-Man: Brand New Day falls into the first camp, with the review analyzing not only this weekend’s box office hit but the MCU Spider-Man movies that have come before it, too.
“Until now, Spider-Man films have generally been grouped into self-contained trilogies,” he continued. “With each new iteration, the cast and creative team changed, allowing the franchise to reinvent itself for a new era. This time, however, while both the cast and the story continue from the previous film, everything has been reset.
“The film focuses on Peter, once again alone, and the loneliness and inner conflict that come with that. It can be seen both as the beginning of a new series and as a direct continuation of the last one. A very clever structure.”
Watched “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” A lonely hero. A lonely Spidey. A lonely Peter Parker. It felt fresh, and I really enjoyed it. Until now, Spider-Man films have generally been grouped into self-contained trilogies. With each new iteration, the cast and creative team changed,… pic.twitter.com/FSuLBVbnR0
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) August 2, 2026
Kojima then took the opportunity to take a broader look at filmmaking on the scale of something like Spider-Man: Brand New Day. He added that “striking the right balance between what filmmakers want to create and what audiences expect has become incredibly difficult,” especially as social media amplifies opinions online.
“Genuine, heartfelt filmmaking is becoming increasingly challenging. Because of that, this is a film that puts the ‘Brand’ in ‘Brand New Day’ to the test, as part of a blockbuster franchise that simply cannot afford to fail.”
While fans wait for to hear more from new Kojima games like OD and Physint, the game creator has used social media to connect with followers online by sharing everything from community creations to the music he’s been listening to. His movie reviews are no doubt the centerpiece of his activity, though. We’ve covered his thoughts on films like Backrooms and Superman before.
As audiences across the globe – Kojima included – head to theaters to check out the new MCU flick, you can see what IGN thought about it in our 7/10 Spider-Man: Brand New Day review. In it, we said the movie “effectively refocuses on the most reliable pillars of the webslinger: battling inner turmoil, swinging around NYC saving the day, and looking cool while doing so.”
Photo by Rosdiana Ciaravolo/Getty Images.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
