Note: This article may contain minor spoilers for Marvel’s Black Panther.

As is the case for most major blockbusters in recent years, an aura of jittery anticipation encompassed Marvel Studios’ Black Panther before its US release on January 29th, 2018. In the hearts of the many fans the movie had already earned itself, a question hung in the air. Would the film live up to the hype? Or would it succumb to the familiar tropes and stereotypes of the superhero genre? The answer, of course, is plain and simple: boasting gorgeous visuals, complex and beautifully executed characters, and a relentless political drive, Black Panther is both a stellar, folklore-infused meditation on discrimination and an epic celebration of black culture. It truly comes as no surprise that the movie has outwardly demolished the box office, hauling a whopping $292 million dollars in its first week. In all shapes and forms, it has become a global phenomenon.

I think it’s worth noting, for the record, that I’m not a big superhero fan. If anything, I usually go for darker, grittier films (like The Dark Knight or Logan) that deviate from your standard Marvel fare. Nevertheless, I was left dumbfounded by the way in which Black Panther manages to pack a political punch without the need for explicit violence and gore, and how it does this without oversimplifying the intricate social aspects it sheds light to.

Sporting a hairstyle vaguely reminiscent of the late Jean-Michel Basquiat, Erik Killmonger (played by Michael B. Jordan) is arguably one of the most fascinating movie villains in recent memory. The power dynamics between his radical, zealous call to arms and T’Challa’s initial desire to prevent change from occurring is a perfect example of the way the film is almost constantly cerebral, without becoming too hard to swallow.

The movie’s soundtrack is also worth praising. Curated by American rapper and songwriter Kendrick Lamar, who recently proclaimed himself to be “The Next Killmonger,” the album is truly stellar, built to simultaneously accompany its source material and build from it sonically and lyrically.

Lavishly stylized, every scene in this movie looks and feels gorgeous and calculated. Everything from costume design, to speech mannerisms, to Wakandan politics and rituals is futuristic and contemporary, laced with very real fragments of African culture.

Absorbing, complex and lovingly crafted, Black Panther is nothing short of cinematic gold.