Overview
A haunting journey through the mind of a troubled man seeking to unravel his past.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- oppressive
- melancholic
- haunting
- quiet night
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an accomplished, haunting psychological drama led by Ralph Fiennes's brilliant performance and David Cronenberg's meticulous control.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Spider struggles to order confused memories while the audience experiences his increasingly fragile grip on reality.
The halfway house, boarding-house interiors, and London surroundings create an oppressive habitat for Spider's isolation.
Spider's institutionalized adult life is continually haunted by parental death and traumatic memories of childhood.
Critics specifically praise the film's controlled direction, cinematography, and beautiful design alongside its cold, oppressive mood.
Films like Spider, and why
The Machinist
shared psychological mystery, unreliable memory, and oppressive portrait of a fractured mind
Shutter Island
shared mentally unstable protagonist, bleak atmosphere, and reality filtered through trauma
The Sixth Sense
shared disturbing psychological drama, childhood trauma, and austere visual control
Memento
shared alienated protagonist, haunted past, and unsettling psychological ambiguity
Movie Details
- Director
- David Cronenberg
- Release Date
- 2002-11-06
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (973)
Cast
- Ralph Fiennes
- Miranda Richardson
- Gabriel Byrne
- Lynn Redgrave
- John Neville
- Philip Craig
- Bradley Hall
- Gary Reineke
- Sara Stockbridge
- Cliff Saunders
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Spider about?
- A profoundly isolated schizophrenic reconstructs his childhood memories in a London halfway house, where every recollection threatens to unravel reality.
- What is Spider like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Spider as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Spider violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Spider as mild.
- What did critics think of Spider?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an accomplished, haunting psychological drama led by Ralph Fiennes's brilliant performance and David Cronenberg's meticulous control.
- Which films are like Spider?
- Films with a similar feel include The Machinist, Shutter Island, The Sixth Sense, and Memento.
- How long is Spider?
- Spider runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch Spider?
- In United States, Spider is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home.
