Spiderhead is a science fiction film directed by Joseph Kosinski based on a short story by George Sanders, Escape from Spiderhead. It was released on June 17, 2022 on Netflix. The film stars Chris Hemsworth, who also served as a producer.
Spiderhead was just released last week and, although it did not have the big promotion Netflix would typically give, I stumbled on it the moment it was released and I immediately downloaded it.
When I saw the title "Spiderhead", coupled with its description, I had anticipated a more action-oriented thriller film with crazy visual effects. Lo and behold, it was different from my expectations. It explored a similar concept to "The OA", but in a different direction. You can check out my review on The OA here.
We will get into my review in a minute, but first, let us talk a little about the movie.
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Spiderhead is a state-of-the-art prison for people convicted of serious crimes; a penitentiary. But rather being a regular prison, it experiments with the effects of chemical substances (drugs) on their test subjects, the prisoners.
Unlike conventional prisons, prisoners can roam about in the facility without guard supervision and doors do not have locks. They even have their own rooms and do chores.
Basically, the prisoners volunteer for the programme in order to reduce their sentences. And the programme is overseen by Steve Amnesti (Chris) and his assistant, Mark. They both claim to be under the "higher-ups" and have protocols to follow, which include testing on the subjects every day.
Steve Amnesti and Jeff
A test subject for a new drug capable of generating feelings of love begins to doubt the reality of his feelings and the facility's authority.
Secrets begin to unravel as discoveries are made and things go sideways.
It's quite refreshing to see scientific experimental research carried out in a cooler way. The whole state-of-the-art equipment was just interesting to see.
The mysteries behind science are so vast that there are always discoveries to be made. And the discoveries lead to more and more innovations in our world, innovations that transform our lives.
But when moral boundaries are no longer considered, that is when the line is being crossed. To withhold a fellow human captive and subject them to procedures that are inhumane all for the "greater good" is nowhere near good.
Seeing Chris Hemsworth in the lead role was basically what made me feel like it was going to be some action kind of movie, but I was far from being right.
Spiderhead is not the kind of movie you could be on edge, feeling intrigued by every scene, leaving you asking "what's this guy going to do next?". It is something you just want to take your time to enjoy. I do not mean to say it is "boring" or not worth watching. I mean to say that Spiderman, sorry, Spiderhead, is a movie to enjoy for its subtleties.
It is similar to "The OA" in the sense that it centres on this "captor-hostage" relationship with experimental procedures, with the prisoners being kept from the outside for a long time. However, this is different because the prisoners are given some care and freedom.
But to do proper justice to this review, let us talk about some specific areas;
The story basically depicts how we let our past haunt us, thereby inhibiting us from reaching our best. Many of the prisoners were there so they could shorten their sentences, but they were prisoners beyond the just law. Most of them had made mistakes that put them in their situation, but those deeds haunted their minds.
Spiderhead, to me, was basically about liberating oneself from guilt for the past by accepting that we all make mistakes and that we all are not perfect.
Miles Teller (Jeff) and Jurnee Smollett (Lizzy)
The use of the whole state-of-the-art facility for chemical research combined with crime to deliver this story was brilliant. Combined with portraying that science is great but "Mad Science" could be crossing the line sometimes.
The approach and execution were pretty straightforward, if you ask me. There may have been a few questionable things, but all the same, the story was consistent.
I probably have used "state-of-the-art" five times in this post. And that is because I was fascinated by the concept of tech used in the film; the brilliancy of the technology to inject chemical substances into people precisely and with a device to administer them remotely.
This is an aspect that I give accolades to. Like I said earlier, it is through the subtleties that one can truly enjoy the movie. And the subtleties were powered halfway by this aspect.
I mean to say that Spiderman, sorry, Spiderhead, is a movie to enjoy for its subtleties.
Not like there were visual-effects like you wound have in Marvel movies. But the simple, yet engaging motion pictures are something really enjoyable.
Without the efforts in this category, every other element in filmmaking would just be useless. As an actor, selling your character to your audience is your biggest job.
I must commend every single actor/actress in this movie. It was a brief film, yet they held their characters solidly.
My favourite was Jurnee Smollett. She played Lizzy, and I totally fell in love with her character. I could have mistaken her character to be her actual personality.
Jurnee Smollett (Lizzy) and Miles Teller (Jeff)
To see Chris Hemsworth play a role where he was a scientist rather than a soldier or super hero was interesting to see. And he played it exceptionally well.
I'm not sure why Netflix did not advertise Spiderhead as they normally would. The film deserves better promotion than what it got.
Spearhead is something I would love to see in its sequel. But I'm not sure about that with the way it ended. And I would have appreciated a little thrill and action in the movie.
I would rate the movie at 7/10.
Spiderhead es una película de ciencia ficción dirigida por Joseph Kosinski basada en un relato corto de George Sanders, Escape from Spiderhead. Se estrenó el 17 de junio de 2022 en Netflix. La película está protagonizada por Chris Hemsworth, que también ejerció de productor.
Spiderhead se estrenó la semana pasada y, aunque no tuvo la gran promoción que suele hacer Netflix, me tropecé con ella en el momento en que se estrenó y la descargué inmediatamente.
Cuando vi el título "Spiderhead", junto con su descripción, había previsto una película de suspense más orientada a la acción con efectos visuales locos. Y he aquí que era diferente a mis expectativas. Exploraba un concepto similar al de "The OA", pero en una dirección diferente. Puedes consultar mi crítica sobre "The OA" aquí.
Entraremos en mi crítica en un minuto, pero primero, hablemos un poco de la película.
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Spiderhead es una prisión de última generación para personas condenadas por delitos graves; una penitenciaría. Pero en lugar de ser una prisión normal, experimenta con los efectos de sustancias químicas (drogas) en sus sujetos de prueba, los presos.
A diferencia de las prisiones convencionales, los presos pueden deambular por las instalaciones sin la supervisión de los guardias y las puertas no tienen cerraduras. Incluso tienen sus propias habitaciones y realizan tareas.
Steve Amnesti and JeffBásicamente, los presos se ofrecen como voluntarios para el programa con el fin de reducir sus condenas. Y el programa está supervisado por Steve Amnesti (Chris) y su ayudante, Mark. Ambos dicen estar a las órdenes de los "superiores" y tienen protocolos que seguir, que incluyen pruebas a los sujetos todos los días.
Un sujeto de prueba de una nueva droga capaz de generar sentimientos de amor comienza a dudar de la realidad de sus sentimientos y de la autoridad de la instalación.
Los secretos comienzan a desvelarse a medida que se hacen descubrimientos y las cosas se desvían.
Es bastante refrescante ver que la investigación científica experimental se lleva a cabo de una manera más fría. Todo el equipo de última generación era interesante de ver.
Los misterios de la ciencia son tan vastos que siempre hay descubrimientos por hacer. Y los descubrimientos conducen a más y más innovaciones en nuestro mundo, innovaciones que transforman nuestras vidas.
Pero cuando se dejan de considerar los límites morales, es cuando se está cruzando la línea. Retener a un prójimo cautivo y someterlo a procedimientos que son inhumanos, todo por un "bien mayor", no es nada bueno.
Ver a Chris Hemsworth en el papel principal fue básicamente lo que me hizo sentir que iba a ser un tipo de película de acción, pero estuve lejos de acertar.
Spiderhead no es el tipo de película en la que puedas estar en vilo, sintiéndote intrigado por cada escena, dejándote preguntar "¿qué va a hacer este tipo a continuación?". Es algo que simplemente quieres tomarte tu tiempo para disfrutar. No quiero decir que sea "aburrida" o que no merezca la pena verla. Quiero decir que Spiderman, perdón, Spiderhead, es una película para disfrutar por sus sutilezas.
Es similar a "The OA" en el sentido de que se centra en esta relación "captor-rehén" con procedimientos experimentales, con los prisioneros mantenidos desde el exterior durante mucho tiempo. Sin embargo, es diferente porque los prisioneros reciben algunos cuidados y libertad.
Pero para hacer justicia a esta revisión, hablemos de algunas áreas específicas;
La historia describe básicamente cómo dejamos que nuestro pasado nos persiga, lo que nos impide alcanzar lo mejor de nosotros mismos. Muchos de los prisioneros estaban allí para poder acortar sus condenas, pero eran prisioneros más allá de la ley justa. La mayoría de ellos habían cometido errores que los pusieron en su situación, pero esos hechos perseguían sus mentes.
La cabeza de araña, para mí, trataba básicamente de liberarse de la culpa por el pasado aceptando que todos cometemos errores y que no todos somos perfectos.
Miles Teller (Jeff) and Jurnee Smollett (Lizzy)
El uso de toda la instalación de vanguardia para la investigación química combinada con el crimen para ofrecer esta historia fue brillante. Combinado con el retrato de que la ciencia es genial, pero la "ciencia loca" podría cruzar la línea a veces.
En mi opinión, el enfoque y la ejecución fueron bastante sencillos. Puede que haya habido algunas cosas cuestionables, pero en cualquier caso, la historia fue coherente.
Probablemente he utilizado la palabra "estado del arte" cinco veces en este post. Y eso es porque me fascinó el concepto de tecnología utilizado en la película; la brillantez de la tecnología para inyectar sustancias químicas a las personas con precisión y con un dispositivo para administrarlas a distancia.
Este es un aspecto al que le doy elogios. Como dije antes, es a través de las sutilezas que uno puede disfrutar realmente de la película. Y las sutilezas fueron potenciadas a medias por este aspecto.
Quiero decir que Spiderman, perdón, Spiderhead, es una película para disfrutar por sus sutilezas.
No es que haya efectos visuales como los que tienen las películas de Marvel. Pero las imágenes simples, pero atractivas, son algo realmente disfrutable.
Sin los esfuerzos en esta categoría, todos los demás elementos del cine serían inútiles. Como actor, vender tu personaje al público es tu mayor trabajo.
Debo elogiar a todos los actores de esta película. Era una película breve, pero mantuvieron sus personajes con solidez.
Mi favorita fue Jurnee Smollett. Interpretó a Lizzy y me enamoré totalmente de su personaje. Podría haber confundido su personaje con su personalidad real.
Jurnee Smollett (Lizzy) and Miles Teller (Jeff)
Ver a Chris Hemsworth interpretar un papel en el que era un científico en lugar de un soldado o un superhéroe era interesante de ver. Y lo interpretó excepcionalmente bien.
No estoy seguro de por qué Netflix no ha publicitado Spiderhead como lo haría normalmente. La película merece una mejor promoción de la que tuvo.
Spearhead es algo que me encantaría ver en su secuela. Pero no estoy seguro de eso con la forma en que terminó. Y hubiera agradecido un poco de emoción y acción en la película.
Yo calificaría la película con un 7/10.
𝕀𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕖𝕟𝕛𝕠𝕪𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕥, 𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕝𝕪 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕒 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥, 𝕣𝕖𝕓𝕝𝕠𝕘, 𝕠𝕣 𝕦𝕡𝕧𝕠𝕥𝕖. 𝕀𝕥 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕓𝕖 𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕝𝕪 𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕕.
Yo me llevé una sorpresa con esta película, me pasó igual, pensé que por tratarse de Chris Hemsworth la historia sería otra.
La verdad la película al principio captó mi atención, pero pronto se disipó el entusiasmo porque empecé a sentirla vacía y bastante predecible. Creo que es como para verla y pasar el rato, no más.
Entiendo perfectamente lo que debiste sentir porque yo también me sentí así en algún momento.
Sí, no es el tipo de película que cualquier tipo de persona disfrutaría.
Gracias por pasarte por aquí.
I liked a lot this movie the way the experiment go and all the sense of guilty of the characters for their actions, it's really interesting.
The film was really something refreshing to see.
And I also liked that they centered on the guilt issues and portrayed them well
Thanks for stopping by.
😅😅😅
Even I thought that was the title of your movie review... Was thinking another new kind of spiderman has been released 😅
This review is beautiful! But this one that Netflix have not advertise it yet... Should I wait for them before I see it? 😂
I don't know about that lead actor but I'm interested to see a movie of him... This is the perfect one to start with I guess.
Well done, this is good!
By the way, I'll be submitting this post to @dreemport for more visibility and engagement on it... It's Dreemport birthday week 🥳😍 and we are extending it to you too.
You can ask away if you're interested in giving your articles more visibility through Dreemport... I'll be just here or around here 😊🥰
Edit: Please can you check the source of your first image? It's taking me somewhere else 😊
Oh it looks like that this is a good movie to watch! You are right that Netflix seems like didn't make a lot of exposure for this one since I am not familiar with it. But thanks for your review, at least, I know its background.
Netflix have probably become relaxed with promotions now.
I'm glad you like my review.
Thanks for stopping by.
Greetings.
Yeah, they are promoting the hype movies I guess just like Squid Games.
Thanks for sharing this on Dreemport.
It was actually my friend, @merit.ahama, that did that for me. I am just learning about Dreemport.
And for your kind words.That's for stopping by, @anonymous02.
Dreemport is cool!
We think you're cool too. 🙃
Haha! I hope so. Thank you!
It's seems interesting. I think I'll watch it
You should try it.
Thanks for stopping by.
I will watch the movie this morning. You really did justice to the movie and I am curious why scientific research/drug is used on prisoners and why prisons submit willingly to be imprisoned and still gain freedom even while in prison.
Nice review here.
😂
What do you think about the movie? Have you now seen it, @adoore-eu.
I am really glad you found my review useful.
I'm encouraged even more to continue.
All I can say is that this is the best movie review I have ever come across. Now my fingers are itching to get my hands on this movie. I am definitely going to see it and thank goodness it is on netflix. I am not a fan of action packed thrillers but this is definitely a must see. Thank you
😁
Wow.
Someone who values the story more.🤝
We're in the same club.
I'm really glad you found my review useful.
Thank you for stopping by!
Greetings, @zyzymena
Yes I did. I loved every bit of it. You are good at this. Movie review is something I have tried my hands on but flopped. I wish I can describe movies this way.
Than you so much 🥺
And telling great stories is something I am not good at either. We're all different in many ways, yet unique.
Yet we are different but unique in our own ways. I guess that's what makes everyone interesting. There is something to new to learn.
I happened to have seen this movie too and I enjoyed it.
What stood out was the borders of evil and good. I've always seen it as an objective thing and spiderhead reflects that some way.
Not sure I like the way it ended though.