Back in the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, before the Avengers first assembled, there was a sense that the movies had to prove themselves. Nobody had any idea if the concept of this interconnected universe would work, or how long it would work if it did. As a result, we got films that had to be just as good as standalone projects as they were as part of the greater whole. In that way, Thunderbolts* feels like a very welcome return to form.

Part of the reason the movie feels like such a refreshing change has to do with the scope. The ads would lead you to believe that this is a team-up movie akin to The Avengers or Guardians of the Galaxy, where the focus is on each of these ragtag heroes individually and as a team. That’s not how director Jake Schreier chose to play this one. Instead, he wisely focuses in on Yelena (Florence Pugh) as the lead character and lets the others fill out the periphery.

Pugh is phenomenal as Yelena, the professional assassin dealing with the loss of her older sister. Here, the prolific killer is battling more than just gun-toting enemies, she’s battling herself. The entire film is an exploration of Yelena’s depression, grief, loneliness, and self-loathing. This is a character with skeletons in her closet, and she can only save the day by finally facing those skeletons head on and starting to heal. It sounds campy and silly in theory—this is a superhero movie, after all—but Schreier and Pugh work brilliantly together to elevate the story and the character into something more.

As for the other members of the team, each does a fantastic job of their own. In particular I think that Wyatt Russell brings a surprising depth to John Walker, the disgraced former Captain America with a massive chip on his shoulder. Walker is a jerk, but Russell plays him like a man lashing out because of his pain. It’s a compelling performance and one that stands apart from his last time playing the character. He’s much more interesting here than he was in Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Though Schreier keeps the focus on the characters above the spectacle, the way he handles the action and more fantastical elements also deserves praise. Very rarely did it feel like I was watching a superhero movie. The world as presented to us feels grounded and realistic, and the dangers are mostly relatable and timely. More than once, I was even a bit surprised at how brutal the story was allowed to get. This movie goes to some dark places that I’m not sure another MCU film has.

My one major complaint involves the new character introduced, Bob (Lewis Pullman). Pullman does a wonderful job with the character, don’t get me wrong. He has a vulnerability that makes him easy to connect with and makes his story heartbreaking. However, the movie spends so much time on Yelena that Bob’s evolution as a character never feels fully realized. He’s such an interesting addition to the cast and Pullman is so good, I’d just have liked to spend a bit more time on him.

Still, I think that the movie hits all the notes it needs to, including some that I couldn’t have predicted. There’s nothing wrong with big, bombastic movies that put spectacle first. Those can be a lot of fun sometimes. It’s nice, though, to see an MCU movie that’s actually about something. Much like its titular team, Thunderbolts* isn’t what I think any of us expected, but maybe it’s exactly what we need.