The Tom Holland run of Sony/MCU Spider-Man movies have been consistently the best solo movies of the Marvel heroes, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day is no exception. Our last outting left Spider-Man alone in the world, and from the first frame of Brand New Day, we see the toll that takes on Peter Parker. He’s the same kind, funny, concerned, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, but there’s a bounce missing in his step that he had when he was surrounded by loved ones.

I’m not going to give any spoilers, but suffice to say that while the A-plot involves crime fighting (which may or may not involve Sadie Sink, whose character I won’t name even though by now anyone who has been looking for it has figured it out), the B-plot is just as important, about how Peter Parker is handling his loneliness, and how what he’s going through affects him all the way down to his DNA. The plots intertwine beautifully, and the pacing of the movie is both frenetic and energetic while giving the emotional beats room to breathe and take their time.

And speaking of emotional beats, Tom Holland as ever completely nails Peter Parker’s inner life, just as he does the action. Zendaya and Jacob Batalon are back, and wonderful as ever. New to the Spider-Man movies is Frank Castle, AKA The Punisher, always played to perfection by the amazing John Bernthal, and their “are they or aren’t they buddies” relationship is one of the revelations and joys of the film. Other Marvel superheros show up as well: the always excellent Mark Ruffalo has some great moments as Bruce Banner/The Hulk, and another Marvel hero not in the trailers also shows up, and she’s clearly having a wonderful time in her moments.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi) really deserves his flowers for making a 2:25 movie absolutely fly by, and for directing some of the most kinetic action scenes in any Marvel movie (which shouldn’t be a surprise, considering Shang-Chi had some of the best martial arts in modern western cinema). The art direction, production, special effects, are all amazing. Michael Giacchino’s score plays with existing Spider-Man themes and adds his own flavor, very effectively.

Honestly, I can’t think of any real criticism I have of this film. It’s just really, really good. That’s probably why it’s aggregate Rotten Tomatoes score as of this writing is 91% among professional critics and 98% among viewers. Did the “extra” Marvel hero need a cameo, just to tie into the greater marvel universe? Not really, but her presence made sense, was well written, and fun. Does the after-credits scene move the needle—any needle—in a meaningful way? Not to me. But none of that diminishes what a legitimately wonderful movie this is. If you’ve liked the previous Tom Holland Spider-Man movies, you will love this latest installment. If you’re not following the convoluted and chaotic MCU storyline, don’t worry, this stands completely on it’s own (or with the other Spider-Man movies). And if you just want to see a fantastic action movie, with real emotional beats, fantastic acting, and the best effects money can buy, you’ll get it.