FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE YET TO SEE COBWEB, THIS IS A NON-SPOILER REVIEW.

Lost in the Reel’s video review for Cobweb

I first became aware of the new horror film Cobweb, when I read an interview from Seth Rogen (who is a co-producer here) talking about how excited he was to finally work in this genre.  And how when he read the script for the movie, he was blown away by how it was able to redefine the conventions of said genre.  I immediately went to IMDB to look Cobweb up, and it became a must-see for me, just from the cast alone.  

WHAT IS COBWEB ALL ABOUT?

Cobweb follows eight-year-old Peter, a shy boy who is bullied relentlessly at school.  But, even worse, he is haunted every night by knocks on his bedroom wall.  His parents try to convince him that these noises are just his wild imagination getting the best of him… But, Peter soon begins to discover that his parents just might be keeping some dark secrets that he couldn’t even dare to imagine.

HOW IS THE CAST?

The film stars young Woody Norman, who I thought gave one of the best child-actor performances ever in C’mon C’mon, the incomparable Lizzy Caplan, Infinity Pool’s Cleopatra Coleman and Homelander himself, Antony Starr, from Amazon Prime’s The Boys.  With a cast like that, how could you not be excited?  And one thing I will say about Cobweb, is that the performances are great… especially from Caplan and Starr, who will send shivers right down your spine, as Peter’s sinister parents. 

WHAT OTHER HORROR MOVIES ARE SIMILIAR TO COBWEB?

The movie starts out extremely generic however, taking well-worn story beats from every recent horror film you can think of.  From The Babadook, to The Boogeyman, Goodnight Mommy and especially Scott Cooper’s Antlers… basically the movie felt like every other scary flick that stars a young kid being haunted in a creepy house.  And I couldn’t help, but wonder what Seth Rogen was getting on about in that interview, saying that this script was somehow reinventing the wheel?  It certainly didn’t feel like it

YOU’LL NEVER KNOW WHERE THIS MOVIE IS LEADING YOU…

But, somewhere right around the 30 minute mark, the movie finally starts throwing some curveballs at its audience… and then I was hooked.  My favorite thing about this genre, besides obviously the prospect of being genuinely terrified, is that horror (only when it’s really good) is often able to surprise and subvert expectations.  I feel like nowadays not many films outside of this genre are able to do that.  And Cobweb definitely took my expectations and threw them out the window.  

I wouldn’t dare spoil anything about this movie… As it’s best to not know much of anything going in. But, writer Chris Thomas Devlin is constantly able to shift the story in wildly unpredictable places.  This means that the film keeps you on your toes… And is slowly able to rack up the tension, until it’s almost unbearable.  In this way, Cobweb reminds me of last year’s Barbarian; it takes you in one direction, until it all of a sudden veers you off onto another unforeseen and diabolical path.  Sadly, just like with that movie though (or at least this is how I felt), the journey is much more compelling than when you get to the final destination.  

BUT, THE CLIMAX FEELS EXTREMELY UNDERWHELMING

Once we fully understand what is going on, what should be a frightening and shocking climax ends up feeling totally half-baked.  I think this really has to do with the unnecessarily lean 88-minute run-time… where so many movies this year feel overly long, Cobweb really could have used another fifteen minutes or so to flesh out all of the cracks in its narrative.  I desperately wanted to connect with the conclusion of this story, but it feels rushed and underwhelming… especially compared to all of the breathtaking moments of suspense that happened before it.  At the end of the day, it just didn’t all come together.

IS IT STILL WORTH A WATCH (ESPECIALLY DURING THE SPOOKY SEASON)?

Even so, I do think Cobweb is a fun, atmospheric and creepy little film… Albeit not a necessarily outright scary one. The studio really missed the mark though, by releasing this during the summer… Because with its Halloween-time setting, it’s perfectly produced to consume and enjoy during the Spooky Season.  And although I certainly don’t think it’s going to become a must-watch yearly Halloween classic, it’s well-made and different enough that it’s certainly worth seeking out.  

Cobweb will be EXCLUSIVELY In Theaters July 21st, 2023.

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