Spiderhead reviews are out – and this Netflix movie looks like a flop
The latest Netflix film directed by Joseph Kosinski. The American director is on a roll right now as his Top Gun Maverick continues to grow at the box office and has audiences reaching for the edge of their seats. However, his new movie on Netflix is a dramatic change of pace.
The movie is called “Spider Head” and it takes place in a near-future prison where there are no bars or cells, and the prisoners are even allowed to walk freely. However, in return, the prisoners wear a surgically attached device that regularly injects doses of mind-altering drugs. The imprisoned villagers are completely controlled by these substances and their mood can change in an instant.
This high-tech prison is run by so-called visionary Steve Abnesti (Chris Hemsworth). But when two actors, Jeff (Miles Tellers) and Lizzie (Jurnie Smollett), develop an unexpected connection, their connection could jeopardize everything Abnesti has built. As Jeff and Lizzie plan a daring escape, Abnesti begins pushing the limits of free will to the limit.
This all sounds like a pretty intriguing idea for a thriller, and the cast list is also impressive. Not only do you have Chris Hemsworth, who is best known for playing Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the film also reunites Miles Teller and Kosinski, with the pair working together on Top Gun Maverick.
Spiderhead reviews are not very good
The film hit Netflix yesterday (June 17), but many critics have already given their opinion, and so far it’s not well received. Spiderhead is currently hitting a pretty low 45% on rotten tomatoes (will open in a new tab).
Richard Roper of Chicago Sun-Times (will open in a new tab) says that in this film “idiocy flows through the veins”, and Brian Lowry CNN (will open in a new tab) writes: “This is one of those films that is forgotten almost immediately after the end, and it does not even require any chemical intervention to erase the memory.” Nick Allen RogerEbert.com (will open in a new tab) says, “While it starts off promising, Spiderhead is pseudo-intoxicating sci-fi stuff that treats the most intriguing elements as secondary.”
This is also one of those cases where the audience says that the film is even worse than the critics. Spiderhead currently has a 42% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
However, the film received positive reviews from the Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine and The Daily Telegraph. In fact, Frank Scheck Hollywood Reporter (will open in a new tab) called it “unclassifiable good time”.
As you might expect, the sci-fi thriller has positive comparisons to the popular Netflix TV show Black Mirror. And the confusing narrative was also flagged as another draw. In addition, Hemsworth’s single-minded performance was cited by several reviewers as the best part of the film. Some critics have commented that the film feels too forced, which may be due to the fact that it is based on a short story. Escape from Spiderhead George Saunders.
Netflix couldn’t have picked a better time to release Spider Head with talent both off and in front of the camera trending. But it doesn’t look like this one lives up to the hype.
Be sure to check out our full list of 11 new movies and series to watch this weekend. (will open in a new tab). There’s definitely something for everyone.
