Twisting a well-loved IP into a horror variant of itself is a risky game. We've learned from previous attempts (a la 2023's Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey) the pitfalls that can befall something like this. Andy Chen's The Spider, starring Chandler Riggs of Walking Dead fame as Peter Parker, is a well-crafted short film, and does its best to dodge the potholes that similar projects have created by wasting no time in introducing you to its core themes. These themes have the potential for something strong and durable in the horror sphere.
While the acting can feel a tad flaccid, the visual effects add a practical twinge of horrific spice to this film that works greatly to its benefit. I found myself grimacing in anguish as the body horror came to a crescendo. We see many familiar characters, but we hardly get a chance to know them. We are shoved from scene to scene at an almost rapid pace - like we're skipping cutscenes in a video game. This comes at the cost of strong pacing not only as a body of work, but on that scene-by-scene basis.
I've got to hand it to Chen - this kind of "what if" story has potential to expand and become more fruitful in its storytelling and world building. I see The Spider as less of a short film and more of a proof of concept - a test run to exhibit just how grotesque the character of the beloved webslinger can become when pushed to its darkest limits.
