Review - Holy Spider

Directed by: Ali Abbasi
Written by: Ali Abbasi, Afshin Kamran Bahrami
Starring: Mehdi Bajestani, Zar Amir Ebrahimi
Running Time: 117 minutes
Rating: 3.5/5

Holy Spider stretches its real-life inspiration into a gossamer-thin story that is ultimately unable to fully capture its audience like flies on a web.

Based on the real life story of Saeed Haneai, a serial killer targetting sex workers in Mashhad, Iran, the film focuses on journalist Rashimi (played by Zar Amir-Ebrahimi) as she aims to untangle the mystery weaved by the titular murderer.

While director Ali Abbasi does a good job of expanding the lens outside of just “will Saeed be caught,” instead inviting the audience to question the societal failings that lead to the “corruption” of people like Saeed, he ultimately is unable to answer any of the questions he poses in a completely satisfactory manner.

At times, the focus on the killings feels exploitative, and while the scenes of the murder are able to illuminate the mindset of the Spider killer as he claims a new victim, the subsequent use of them make the film feel a little repetitive. Mehdi Bajestani does his best to bring complexity to the character of Saeed, a veteran of a war who sees his war on women as a just one, and yet carries it out in the shadows until forced to reveal himself. Bajestani’s presence is impactful, however, being just as scary in the murder scenes as he is wielding a hammer at a construction site.

“Holy Spider stretches its real-life inspiration into a gossamer-thin story that is ultimately unable to fully capture its audience like flies on a web.”

Rahimi as a character offers a more empathic view of her surroundings, and in her existence showcases some of the challenges that any woman faces in her society. However, her scenes and her detective work seem to lack a certain punch to elevate this movie into the upper echelon of crime thrillers.

There is a point in the film, where the change in tone feels too abrupt as we put one chapter behind us and instead focus on a new series of moral questions. Each of these parts would have been stronger than the totality.

That being said, there is much to rescue from Holy Spider. Mashhad comes alive from the get-go with the opening title sequence focusing on a mosque surrounded by leg-like streets leaving you wondering who exactly the Holy Spider refers to. Is it Saeed who is hunting down his victims. Is it the city and its pitfalls trapping people like Saeed in their web? Is it bigger than that, with religion weaving a web no city can escape. Abbasi is also particularly skilled in capturing the sense of danger even when characters are just standing alone in an empty street.

While perfection may only be divine, Holy Spider falls a little too short to be a truly fantastic movie.