Spiderhead Review

 

Spiderhead is a science fiction thriller movie based on George Saunders' short story "Escape from Spiderhead". The film is produced by Grand Electric and The New Yorker Studios and distributed by Netflix. Spiderhead is written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and directed by Joseph Kosinski.

The story is Jeff along with other convinced criminals have agreed to be participants in an experimental drug that alters their minds. As this experiment goes on, Jeff is starting to suspect there's something else at play that him and everyone else aren't aware of.

Initial Reaction

There's two reasons why I wanted to see this movie. 1) the concept is very interesting. 2) The talent behind the camera. Joseph Kosinski has brought us some pretty good movies, and is absolutely killing it with Top Gun: Maverick. And you also have the writers those being Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. They've also brought us good films such as both Zombieland movies, both Deadpool movies, and 6 Underground. So there's quite a lot going for this film.

Cons

Nothing for this section. Just move on.

Middle Ground

One thing that was pretty okay with Spiderhead is the uneasiness. It's still pretty good, but at the same time I wish there was just a little bit more. I'm not saying the film had to go full on let's say a horror flick, because it's very clear it's not that kind of movie. What I'm saying is there could've been more scenes, or maybe scenes rewritten, where there are a lot of times where you don't feel good about what's going on. Like I said before, some scenes are uneasy and intense. My other mix feelings come from the humor. Sometimes it works, but there are scenes where it didn't feel necessary. Like when Jeff and Lizzy are running away, there's a pantry joke and given the situation, it really didn't feel needed.

Pros

Now we're in the pros section, and one of those pros is the performances. Miles Teller and Jurnee Smollett were both very good in their own right, but it's Chris Hemsworth that really steals the show. Much like his previous films such as Bad Times at the El Royale and Extraction, this is one of those films where we really get to see his range as an actor. And I'm hoping after he's done with Thor, he goes for more rules like that that showcase his acting skills. I also actually liked the twist. Now I knew it had something to do with the drug that our characters were taking, but what exactly I didn't know. So I was very surprised to what it actually is. The last thing I'll say about the film is even though the script is okay, overall the movie is beautiful. Kosinski gave us great shots of the landscape. Kind of makes me want to take a trip there.

Spiderhead is definitely one of the better Netflix movies. It's got great performances, I thought there was a good twist, and the cinematography was really good. I think what could've been worked on more was a better feeling of uneasiness and some bits that could have removed some of the more humor bits.

My final rating is Okay.

That's all for me. Come back on Monday, Jun 27th for a brand new Classic Film Night. For that one I'll be reviewing E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.