While this film may only be 9 minutes long, believe me when I say that in this tiny window of a running time, Nash Edgerton packs in a couple of narrative punches that are so shocking, startling, bizarre and downright macabre, that they must be seen to be believed. I would really, really, really, ridiculously like to tell you what those narrative punches are, but the less you know going into "Spider," the better. (The surprise is half of the desired effect.) What I will say in this review is pretty much what every other reviewer has and will say about this, which is basically just giving you a basic outline of what "Spider" is about...at least, to start with. (Like I said: the surprise is definitive.) The film begins in a car, and with us meeting the main characters of the film: a couple known as Jack and Jill. (This should give you an indication of how this is sort of a twisted play on the original nursery rhyme.) Jack has done something to Jill before the film's begun that has made her rather peeved with him. In a matter of a couple of lines of dialogue, we learn that Jack is rather the practical joker - the kind of prankster that goes way too far in his attempts to have a laugh. Jill, it would seem, has had enough. The strained couple are in the middle of driving to - and then arrive at - a petrol station for gas. As Jill leaves Jack to sit in the car to fill up her car, leaving him to ponder how he can make her smile for him again, Jack gets out of the car and enters the kiosk. It is here that Jack buys several items with which he hopes he can reconciliate with Jill. But little does he know the dramatic effect that one of these items in particular will soon have on both him and Jill... But I can tell you no more after that. By looking on this IMDb page for "Spider," you may be able to glean some clues as to what happens by the film's end. (The tagline alone is more important than how it might first appear...) Other than that, though, you should go into this with as little information as possible. For example, I came across this film very late last night on Channel 4, alongside another short film called "Incident By A Bank" (also recommended). I had no idea what it was about, nor knew anything about it beforehand, but this similar treatment of the short films shown late at night on Channel 4 lead me to another great short film just days before this one, called "One Minute Past Midnight" (also very highly recommended), so I gave "Spider" a shot, and it was worth it. So, if you find yourself able to watch this through whatever means you've found to be able to watch it, do so immediately...because your jaw will hit the floor and you will be positively gobsmacked...TWICE.
