By Seth Lukas Hynes
Spiderhead
Starring Miles Teller, Chris Hemsworth and Jurnee Smollett
Rated MA15+
3/5
A science fiction psychological thriller directed by Joseph Kosinski, Spiderhead epitomises the phrase “it gets better later”, but also somehow misses its own troubling implications.
Jeff (Miles Teller), an inmate in the Spiderhead island prison, must take part in emotion-controlling drug trials run by Steve Abnesti (Chris Hemsworth).
Spiderhead is driven by compelling performances and has a sturdy, suspenseful second half, but the first half features mishandled intrigue and unwisely plays a disturbing development for laughs.
Hemsworth is very entertaining as Steve, the suave, laidback antagonist, but the early suspense around his true motives feels hollow, as he is clearly manipulative and shady behind the charm. The audience is abundantly aware that Steve is untrustworthy from the start, so the film spends too long suggesting the obvious.
There are two (non-explicit) scenes of Jeff and two female inmates having sex once administered with a “love drug”. While it is superficially funny to see characters who previously disliked each other fall in ravenous lust, the film doesn’t realise that influencing someone into sex beyond their control is assault.
But as mentioned earlier, Spiderhead gets much better later.
The second half has arresting scenes of Jeff and his lover Lizzy (Jurnee Smollett) confronting their past regrets and enduring the traumatic drug trials. The trial scenes are often disquieting, but sometimes funny. As Jeff and Lizzy bond, their loyalties are tested and the full extent of Steve’s conspiracy is revealed, leading to a tense climactic standoff.
A well-acted thriller that fumbles its suspense before getting its act together, Spiderhead’s good half is very satisfying, and is available for streaming on Netflix.
– Seth Lukas Hynes
