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Kal-El's (David Corenswet) cousin made her solo DCU debut in theaters, courtesy of Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, aka "Supergirl." Carrying on the family name and embarking on a hero's journey on the other side of the universe, this marks the fourth time the Woman of Tomorrow has appeared on the big screen (still desperate to shake the curse of the 1984 version), and her latest adventure packs a very different punch from 2025's "Superman."

A trainwreck of a super cousin out for herself, she's forced to switch to hero mode when crossing the paths of Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley), a young girl desperate to avenge the death of her family after they've been killed by the vicious space pirate, Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts). In no time at all, Kara finds herself on the hunt for Krem after he poisons the loveable CGI mutt, Krypto, sending Supergirl off on a mission to save her dog and dish out the required dose of justice along the way.

Regardless of what the critics have said, "Supergirl" has a lot going for it, and makes for a decent stepping up, up, and away point for Alcock's Kryptonian alter-ego. That being said, there are a bunch of other films you'll be itching to watch once the dust has settled.

Paramount

When "Supergirl" was first announced, the one major source the movie was pulling from was Tom King and artist Bilquis Evely's graphic novel, "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow." The key ingredients are certainly all there, too. Kara, Ruthye, Krem, and Krypto are all present in director Craig Gillespie's live-action adaptation, but the plot isn't just taking from the 2021 book, but also the classic western tale, "True Grit."

Originally a novel penned by Charles Portis in 1968 and then adapted to film with John Wayne in the lead, the story was then remade in 2010 and saw Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn, a U.S. Marshall who helps a young girl named Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld in an Oscar-nominated role) track down her father's killer. In the small pocket of modern-day Westerns, "True Grit" stands as one of the greats, which should come as no surprise given that it was directed by the Coen Brothers. Bridges grumbles his way through the film, while Steinfeld outshines her legendary co-star with ease.

A similar trend can be found in "Supergirl" where Kara is Cogburn and fits the part well as a washed-up hero who gets a second life. Even Jason Momoa's Lobo is filling in as the character of Matt Damon's stubborn Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf. Once you're done with superheroes, pick up this classic that has its six-shooter at the ready. It was — and still is — firing on all cylinders.

Warner Bros.

There's a moment in the second act of "Supergirl" when Kara, reaching her limit, shoots into the sky to let out a scream that's lost in the ether of space. It's a stunning shot, but one that evokes the memory of Charlize Theron falling to her knees in the sands of the Wasteland in "Mad Max: Fury Road," and it's not the only chunk of George Miller's beloved action epic "Supergirl" is snatching from.

With villains that look like "Guardians of the Galaxy" Ravagers crossed with War Boys, and a leader that is kidnapping women to help breed his army (yep, DC Studios went there), there's a lot in Gillespie's story in space that takes notes from "Fury Road." It also makes you immediately want to queue it up when you get home.

Alcock is channeling Theron's Furiosa, the scene-stealing heroine who took the spotlight from Tom Hardy's Mad Max in that inferno of a road movie that is now an absolute classic. Admittedly, though, even after ten years, that rescue mission that comes with a flaming guitar is still arguably a more enjoyable watch than DC's latest. While they might be very different genres, Miller's masterpiece knows what it is and still has the power to drag you along for one of the greatest cinematic rides in history. Supergirl might be able to move faster than a locomotive, but she's still outmatched by Furiosa and her War Rig.

Lionsgate

If you have a heart, you'll be completely understanding of Kara's motivations to hunt down Krem after he shoots and poisons her dog, Krypto. Of course, in the pantheon of movies about heroes seeking justice for their dog, the best one to ever do it is Keanu Reeves in "John Wick." Another game-changing action movie that altered the DNA of the genre forever, the Baba Yaga's introduction might have been surpassed by the chapters that followed, but the original has still left a lasting mark and a few bullet holes, too.

You know the story by now, surely? Alfie Allen plays a bratty son of a mob boss, who breaks into the wrong house and steals the car of a stranger, but not before shooting the owner's dog. Turns out, said owner happens to be a former hitman that's the closest thing to the Grim Reaper, but has long been retired. Well, you know the rest. Legends are told of pencil assassinations, boogeymen, and John assuring his targets that he is, indeed, "back." And you know what? You'll still love every stupidly cool second of it.

Admittedly, while "Supergirl" might be a tough movie in its own right, "John Wick" is arguably a harder, more relentless, and finely tuned action entry that does exactly what it needs to do. That is to say, it gives Keanu Reeves the opportunity to break himself while dispatching bad guys, which we never get tired of seeing.

Universal Pictures

You might wonder why "Inglourious Basterds" is on the list. Compared to the plucky superhero movie, the story set in Nazi-occupied France is leagues apart from Kara's call to action. Well, as much as Tarantino's tale focuses on the titular team that is in the killing Nazi business, there's that vicious tale of vengeance running through the movie, involving Mélanie Laurent as Shoshanna Dreyfus. After seeing Ruthye's family cut down and her home turned to kindling, it's easy to get a flash of Shoshanna running across the hills to escape the pipe-smoking psychopath, Hans Landa (Chistoph Waltz). This sparks a similar mission that's considerably more compelling and far more violent than the family-friendly(ish) one that we've just seen in the DCU.

Seeing Brad Pitt's Lt. Aldo Raine go to work is understandably the source of the over-the-top fun that Tarantino is known for, but it's the romance and the revenge that are intertwined in Shoshanna's side of the story that are strong enough to stand on their own, playing a massive part in the film's final act that quite literally brings the house down. Ruthye might have taken a different path for her mission of vengeance, but if you want a femme fatale to deliver a harsher bit of payback once you're done with "Supergirl," then seeing Shoshanna give the Nazi party a final curtain call is absolutely one worth revisiting.

Miramax

Another Tarantino tale of revenge and one that unleashes more blood and brutality than "Inglorious Basterds" and "Supergirl" put together, "Kill Bill" follows "the Bride" (Uma Thurman) as she seeks out the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad that left her for dead, and the ex-husband that gave it the go-ahead. Taking things one toe at a time, Thurman's hard-edged heroine with a killer edge will go down as one of the greatest female heroes in cinema history and shows no signs of getting bumped any time soon. In fact, while "Supergirl" certainly focused more on Kara's music playlist than her movie watchlist, we'd hazard a guess and say that she probably has "Kill Bill" at least on Blu-Ray back in Metropolis.

Thurman's legendary Beatrix Kiddo is a brilliant hero, albeit a heartless one, even taking a leaf out of Krem's book by killing a mother in front of her daughter before going on her merry way. Unlike Kara, though, who steers Ruthye off the doomed path she'll find herself on, the Bride remains 100% focused and has no concern over dismembering or decapitating anyone who gets in her way. As far as villains go, there's a bunch in the first installment of "The Whole Bloody Affair" that have a much denser backstory and purpose for being on this hero's list, and it's one we love to see her check through every once in a while.