Cobweb

Director - Samuel Bodin (Marianne, Batman: Ashes to Ashes)

Starring - Lizzy Caplan (Mean Girls, Cloverfield), Antony Starr (The Boys, Xena: Warrior Princess), and Woody Norman (The War of the Worlds, The Last Voyage of the Demeter)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Sooner or later, family secrets creep out"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     At the beginning of my October horror binge I was sent the horror film Cobweb on blu to review. I added it to my watch list and as Halloween approached I decided to check it out the weekend before Halloween but I got sidetracked. I foolishly popped an edible and before I realized it I had started watching the wrong fucking movie. Halloween came and went before I realized that I had not watched the Cobweb yet. However, after a few friends told me they enjoyed it, I decided it was time to finally check it out. 

      The film follows a young boy that is heavily bullied at school and very sheltered at home. His mother is a former school teacher that became a stay at home mom when she became pregnant while his father is very domineering and strict. At night he begins to hear something scampering before someone behind the wall starts talking to him. It’s a little girl claiming to be his older sister who was locked away by their parents. She tells him they are mean and they are responsible for a little girl going missing several years before. He believes her and tries to release her but is caught by his parents. That night he poisons them and tries to release her only to discover she is something much more sinister that his parents had locked away to protect him. 

      I was very curious about Cobweb but I was concerned when I first hit play that it would be another horror film similar to Stephen King’s The Boogeyman. I was so afraid that it was another film where a teen or pre-teen was being haunted by something sinister. While this is somewhat true in some respect, the story gives us more of an unexpected spin that I was not expecting. I really enjoyed this one and seriously hope we get a follow up film soon. The acting in this one is fantastic. Anthony Starr, who is know for his portrayal of Homelander on The Boys, is fantastic in his role as the father. He is always intimidating in his roles and this one was no exception. He carries the film along with his on screen wife Lizzy Caplan and their son Woody Norman. These three make the film and I couldn’t imagine the movie having the mood and tension that it has if someone else was cast in these roles. The supporting cast works great as well but the focus is on these three and they nail it. The story for this one is another “kid in a haunted house” type film but there is more to it than that. The “haunted house” angle is swapped with something sinister living behind the walls. While it still follows the same theme as other haunted house tales we have some unexpected events that the viewer doesn’t see coming. I really enjoyed the twists that popped up and the characters backstory. These blend together so well and leaves the film open to another film if we are lucky. Finally, the film has plenty of blood and several quick deaths that we don’t really get to enjoy. Also, we get a CGI creature that did feel out of place with the film. I wanted to love every aspect of this film but the use of the visual effects and the cheaply made creature was a big turn off in my opinion. Overall, Cobweb is a solid horror film with an amazing cast and a decent enough story. While I was not a fan of the visual effects, I did enjoy the rest of the film. This one needs to be seen by genre fans. It’s a lot of fun.