Review | Spiderhead - Future of the Force

Spiderhead is a twisted and captivating thriller with a great cast.

After Top Gun Maverick, Joseph Kosinski is back with a new movie. This time it is on Netflix and it is starring Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller and Jurnee Smollett. I first discovered Joseph Kosinski with Tron Legacy which I absolutely loved. Since then, I have watched every movie he did. And to this day, Oblivion still remains one of my favorite movies of all time. Is his new movie worth watching?

STORY

Jurnee Smollett and Miles Teller in *Spiderhead*. Courtesy of Netflix.

Spiderhead is a scifi thriller in which convicts can serve their time as medical test subjects. They live in a prison that has less boundaries which gives them more freedom. We follow Jeff (played by Miles Teller) who is slowly going to start questionning things in this facility. While Chris Hemsworth plays Steve Abnesti, the CEO of this pharmaceutical enterprise. This movie is based on a book by George Saunders.

It is a captivating story that had me invested from start to finish. Even though, Jeff and Lizzy (played by Jurnee Smollett) are convicts they appear as more likeable than Steve the one who is “supposed to be the good guy.” As the story unravels you learn more about each character and quickly see who are actually the good people in this prison.

Actually, this movie is similar to Oblivion in several ways. Most of the story takes place in one place, there are flashbacks that tells more about the characters and things are not as they appear to be. Add Kosinski’s directing style to it and you have a pretty good recipe. It is moments like these that I wonder why this man did not get more movies to direct. He has so much talent and he deserves more recognition.

CAST

Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller in *Spiderhead*. Courtesy of Netflix.

I was surprised by Chris Hemsworth’s performance. He is so good at making fun of himself and playing on the comedic side with Thor but also in most of his movies. I was afraid he was starting to be like Ryan Reynolds and The Rock – always doing the same thing. And guess what? I was so wrong. He delivers a devilish performance. He is truly mesmerizing. It is a breath of fresh air to see him doing something different.

Furthermore, Miles Teller and Jurnee Smollett also deliver great performances, more focused on the emotional side.

SOUNDTRACK

Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller and Mark Paguio in *Spiderhead*. Courtesy of Netflix.

Just like for Oblivion, Kosinski has brought back Joseph Trapanese for the score. Although, it is not as spectacular as his score for Oblivion, Trapanese still delivers a pretty good work. However, his score is not highlighted enough in the movie as the eighties songs take the spotlight.