Kingdom of the Spiders
A small-town veterinarian races to protect his neighbors when migrating tarantulas transform an animal mystery into a claustrophobic survival siege.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- claustrophobic
- harrowing
- creature feature night
- retro horror marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly find the film effectively tense and occasionally harrowing, while noting its cheap effects, silliness, and uneven finish.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The migrating tarantulas and mysterious animal deaths frame the threat as a natural-world response rather than a conventional criminal antagonist.
A small group of townspeople becomes trapped inside a remote hotel as spiders overrun the surrounding streets.
Live tarantulas are central to the attacks, creating an unusually tactile animal menace for a 1970s creature feature.
The veterinary investigation, isolated town, and straightforward killer-spider premise place the film firmly in earthy 1970s exploitation horror.
Films like Kingdom of the Spiders, and why
The Birds
shared animal horror, small-town siege, escalating creature attacks, and suspenseful survival structure
Jaws
shared 1970s creature-feature aesthetics, environmental anxiety, and isolated-community terror
Empire of the Ants
shared science fiction horror, insect menace, practical creature effects, and pulp genre energy
Frogs
shared animal attack premise, rural isolation, and escalating survival horror
Movie Details
- Director
- John "Bud" Cardos
- Release Date
- 1977-08-24
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 5.6 / 10 (144)
Cast
- William Shatner
- Tiffany Bolling
- Woody Strode
- Lieux Dressler
- David McLean
- Natasha Ryan
- Altovise Davis
- Joe Ross
- Marcy Lafferty
- Hoke Howell
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, ScreenPix Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Kingdom of the Spiders about?
- A small-town veterinarian races to protect his neighbors when migrating tarantulas transform an animal mystery into a claustrophobic survival siege.
- What is Kingdom of the Spiders like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Kingdom of the Spiders as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Kingdom of the Spiders violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Kingdom of the Spiders as mild.
- What did critics think of Kingdom of the Spiders?
- Critics broadly find the film effectively tense and occasionally harrowing, while noting its cheap effects, silliness, and uneven finish.
- Which films are like Kingdom of the Spiders?
- Films with a similar feel include The Birds, Jaws, Empire of the Ants, and Frogs.
- How long is Kingdom of the Spiders?
- Kingdom of the Spiders runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Kingdom of the Spiders?
- In United States, Kingdom of the Spiders streams on Amazon Prime Video, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, ScreenPix Amazon Channel .
