Holy Spider
Cinéart | Release Date: October 28, 2022
6.7
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 30 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
22
Mixed:
4
Negative:
4
Watch Now
Stream On
Stream On
Review this movie
VOTE NOW
 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Check box if your review contains spoilers 0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
7
bertobellamyApr 28, 2023
In 'Holy Spider,' a gripping thriller à la 'Zodiac' about a serial killer who lives a normal life with his family in Mashhad, Iran, Ali Abbasi makes the controversial decision of incorporating the point of view of the misogynistic killer.In 'Holy Spider,' a gripping thriller à la 'Zodiac' about a serial killer who lives a normal life with his family in Mashhad, Iran, Ali Abbasi makes the controversial decision of incorporating the point of view of the misogynistic killer. It's somewhat problematic that the journalist investigating the case, played by Zar Amir Ebrahimi, gets sidelined for almost half of the movie in favor of the killer. Fortunately, the way the film tackles themes like the cult of personality, corruption, and extremism gives insight into how rooted social problems in Iran are. Oh, and the atmosphere the music creates is also noteworthy.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
7
JLuis_001Apr 28, 2023
It's not usual to have stories where a serial killer of women, in this case prostitutes, lives in a nation/society that sees them as inferior beings. That treats them as inferior beings.

And now believe that when this killer has been caught,It's not usual to have stories where a serial killer of women, in this case prostitutes, lives in a nation/society that sees them as inferior beings. That treats them as inferior beings.

And now believe that when this killer has been caught, a part of the system is going to defend him because there's nothing more predictable than the religious hypocrisy of a sick society that seeks to consume the product and then beat its chest and call it moral corruption.

Holy Spider is based on the true story of Iranian serial killer Saeed Hanaei, who killed 16 women in less than a year, between August 2000 and July 2001, before being captured by police.
Clearly, that plot doesn't lend itself to anything less than the utmost seriousness, and the film pulls it off.

It's tense, atmospheric, uncomfortable and unpleasant tale, and it's not all about the darkness and demons of the perpetrator, because that's one part of the narrative, the other lies in how upon being arrested the killer found support from people and it even becomes clear that pressure is exerted to get him released.

Holy Spider manages to give perspective to both sides of the argument, but even when the topic is so magnificently interesting, its pacing and structure are not very active and can be a bit frustrating. However, even when it can't be considered very objective, its style, tension and social critique keep it afloat and manage to carry it along nicely even with the bumps it encounters along the way.

It's not a pretty straightforward film, but it deserves to be seen.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
8
alanpotter17Mar 11, 2023
Um filme rodado em Teerã, que lembra os bons momentos de Asghar Farhadi ("A separação"), contando uma história real de um assassino de prostitutas que, pasmem, é aclamado pela população, pela mídia e pela polícia, tudo em nome do tal Alá.
ÉUm filme rodado em Teerã, que lembra os bons momentos de Asghar Farhadi ("A separação"), contando uma história real de um assassino de prostitutas que, pasmem, é aclamado pela população, pela mídia e pela polícia, tudo em nome do tal Alá.
É realmente chocante perceber que grande parte do roteiro é baseado em fatos reais. A princípio, parece que os personagens, em especial os masculinos, são todos caricatos e forçados, mas fico imaginando pelos relatos e registros que, infelizmente, é bem provável que suas personalidades misóginas não estejam tão longe assim a realidade.
O filme já inicia com uma personagem aleatória como vítima desse monstro, e sua identidade não importa tanto, pois a mulher aqui é tratada de forma genérica, passando superficialmente pela vida que carrega atrás de si.
A partir daí o filme foca na jornalista que vai cobrir o caso, e é agoniante como o fato dela fazer um trabalho solitário, hospedando-se em um simples hotel e sofrendo os olhares machistas que a questionam a todo instante (está desacompanhada? É uma puta?). É de embrulhar o estômago.
A complacência com que a polícia trata do caso, como se o assassino estivesse na verdade cumprindo uma função social plausível, é meio chocante de assistir, especialmente considerando que o vi justamente durante a semana do dia internacional da mulher.
O roteiro é econômico para um filme de investigação policial, e o encontro com o assassino sem desenvolvimento algum. A impressão que passa é que precisaria de um trato mais acurado para tornar a história mais visceral, mais no sentido do desenvolvimento de um thriller policial mesmo, porque em termos de mostrar a submissão feminina nos países do leste foi muito bem sucedido.
Prepara-se para uma enxurrada de indignação perante a desumanidade e objetificação aos corpos femininos. O final, por mais que justo, não deixa de passar a sensação de iminente perigo, de que foi feito algo somente para justificar-se à pressão social, meio que contrariado. Ainda há muito o que lutar, e a globalização do movimento feminista já é uma tendência imparável, com toda a carga multiculturalista que ela carrega. Filme ótimo para discutir a fragmentação as identidades e as relações de poder de gênero que insistem em dar as caras, mesmo em sociedades ocidentais. Ou você acha que em sociedades mais liberais não há misoginia?… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
7
Badgerryan27Jan 1, 2023
Very engaging. I like they show who the focal villain is from the start and is never hidden in the shadows. Crazy this stuff happened and he tired to justify it the way he did. Horrible. But good film and a worthwhile watch.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
7
dundoMay 31, 2023
7 stars
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.7 stars
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
10
iliya2005Nov 25, 2022
I am an Iranian, and what the movie showed is a bitter reality, that superstitions like the Quran and some impure people named "Akhund" were planted in people's heads, and I can definitely say that something like this really happened, so muchI am an Iranian, and what the movie showed is a bitter reality, that superstitions like the Quran and some impure people named "Akhund" were planted in people's heads, and I can definitely say that something like this really happened, so much so that people turned a blind eye to the words. Some people who say anything just for their own benefit, listened to the fact that if someone does something that is against their beliefs, that person has no right to live. That human rights organization that claims to protect the rights of the people of the world, where is it? Here, they are killing people easily.And then they say that he died due to underlying disease or even committed suicide, while they kill them for their own personal benefit.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
10
ArjenNov 26, 2022
I am an Iranian, and what the movie showed is a bitter reality, that superstitions like the Quran and some impure people named "Akhund" were planted in people's heads, and I can definitely say that something like this really happened, so muchI am an Iranian, and what the movie showed is a bitter reality, that superstitions like the Quran and some impure people named "Akhund" were planted in people's heads, and I can definitely say that something like this really happened, so much so that people turned a blind eye to the words. Some people who say anything just for their own benefit, listened to the fact that if someone does something that is against their beliefs, that person has no right to live. That human rights organization that claims to protect the rights of the people of the world, where is it? Here, they are killing people easily.And then they say that he died due to underlying disease or even committed suicide, while they kill them for their own personal benefit.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
10
Higgs8DDec 31, 2022
Holy Spider’s rendition of this grisly tale is powerful and precise, It’s profoundly compelling, expertly made, and quite intentionally horrifying.must watch Especially for arzeshis :). 10/10
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
7
SayreTXAug 6, 2023
For those interested in tales of true crime, and the ugly hypocrisy of a faith based society, look no farther than this graphic retelling of one woman's crusade to catch a serial killer who preys on prostitutes. Not for the faint of heart orFor those interested in tales of true crime, and the ugly hypocrisy of a faith based society, look no farther than this graphic retelling of one woman's crusade to catch a serial killer who preys on prostitutes. Not for the faint of heart or closed minded.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
More From This Movie

66 Critic Reviews

6.7 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL