The Spider

Twisting a well-loved IP into a horror variant of itself is a risky game. We've learned from previous attempts (a la 2023's Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey) the pitfalls that can befall something like this. Andy Chen's The Spider, starring Chandler Riggs of Walking Dead fame as Peter Parker, is a well-crafted short film, and does its best to dodge the potholes that similar projects have created by wasting no time in introducing you to its core themes. These themes have the potential for something strong and durable in the horror sphere.

While the acting can feel a tad flaccid, the visual effects add a practical twinge of horrific spice to this film that works greatly to its benefit. I found myself grimacing in anguish as the body horror came to a crescendo. We see many familiar characters, but we hardly get a chance to know them. We are shoved from scene to scene at an almost rapid pace - like we're skipping cutscenes in a video game. This comes at the cost of strong pacing not only as a body of work, but on that scene-by-scene basis.

I've got to hand it to Chen - this kind of "what if" story has potential to expand and become more fruitful in its storytelling and world building. I see The Spider as less of a short film and more of a proof of concept - a test run to exhibit just how grotesque the character of the beloved webslinger can become when pushed to its darkest limits.

Twisting a beloved character into a dark, horror-driven story can be a risky endeavor, often leading to uneven results. Andy Chen's The Spider, featuring Chandler Riggs from The Walking Dead as Peter Parker, attempts to explore the darker, more grotesque aspects of the Spider-Man mythos. While it has moments of potential, it ultimately feels rushed and lacks the depth needed to fully engage the audience.

The visual effects are solid, adding a gritty, unsettling atmosphere that works well for a horror spin. Body horror elements are effective, delivering moments of genuine disgust, but they're spaced unevenly, leading to a disjointed experience. Unfortunately, the acting feels subdued, leaving many characters underdeveloped. We're quickly shuffled from scene to scene, sacrificing strong pacing and character building for shock value.

Chen has an interesting concept here-a dark reimagining of Spider-Man-but The Spider feels more like a proof of concept than a fully fleshed-out story. It raises intriguing possibilities, but falls short in delivering a cohesive narrative, leaving viewers wanting something deeper and more refined.

The Spider comes out at a time when there's a trend in horror movies that reimagine our childhood comic book heroes-like Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, or Popeye the Sailor-into something far more sinister. The Spider follows this trend with its alternative take on Peter Parker's transformation into our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. However, in The Spider, things take a different and darker turn early on.

This short film also stands out in terms of its cast. Instead of a group of amateur actors, we get Chandler Riggs, whom many will recognize as Carl Grimes from The Walking Dead, playing Peter Parker. Holgie Forrester, who portrays Aunt May, has an acting career spanning several decades, with roles in films dating back to the 1960s. Additionally, the production seems to have had either an above-average budget or excellent financial management, as the effects are impressively executed.

It's clear that the director is likely a fan of the 1986 version of The Fly and other films in the body horror and transformation genre, particularly those centered around scientific experiments gone wrong. In The Spider, we're presented with an almost classic-style monstrous character, adding a fresh contribution to the genre while paying homage to the many old-school body horror films that once captivated and terrified audiences.

In childhood, I was fascinating by the hero presented by Andy Chan in this real provocative short film.

And the interest was resurrected exactly by the realistic perspective of metamorphosis and its dramatic levels.

A different way to see the young peter Parker after the bite , with direct and rapid rhytm of storytelling, familiar characters and , in its first part, hope to discover , sure, with some different niuances, what you so well know.

But, you just are wrong.

In short, a familiar hero , without make up of heroic- romantic - touching story but with few serious spoons of cold realism , in the frame of horror. And, for special effects, for good acting , for reference to one of great roles of Jeff Goldblum in 1986, and for creepy end - anounced by previews scenes - , The spider is just a must see - including Peter parker fans -.