What do you get, when you combine a 70s paranoia thriller with a comicbook action film that completely deconstructs the protagonist's entire belief system and worldview in the cruelest way imaginable? You get, Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

This film is arguably the best marvel cinematic universe film to have ever been produced. It has everything you can ask from a comic-book film and not only that, it elevates itself by giving personal conflicts for almost every character in the film and packs a necessary emotional punch that you rarely see in these films.

As Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, he teams up with a fellow avenger and S. H. I. E. L. D agent, Black Widow, to battle a new threat from history: an assassin known as the Winter Soldier. I just wrote the IMDb plot synopsis because it is the best way to go into this film without any spoilers. Although we all expected it and knew it, the moment we see that face, it's terrifying and heartbreaking at the same time.

The acting is just, phenomenal. Chris Evans gives the best performance he has ever given in these films and this film takes him to his darkest and lowest point of life because he loses his faith in the government, loses his best friend, is almost about to lose the love of his life, but he still has one thing clear in life and is still willing to give up his life for it which is, to do what's right, no matter if he has to go against the entire world for it. Scarlett Johansson also gives a great performance here, this is the first film in the entire MCU where her character actually seems to have some weight and stakes here. She never felt like a character before this and always seemed to be there just because she's black widow. Here however, she has some development and she begins a character arc that actually goes on to have a great end by the end of Avengers: Endgame.

The soundtrack composed by Henry Jackman is also really good. The gothic theme provided for the winter soldier gives me chills every time. Amazing work.

This, along with The Batman are what I consider to be perfect CBMs and I wonder if they can be topped anytime soon.