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Holy Spider
عنکبوت مقدس
2022 118 min Denmark, Jordan, France, Germany, Sweden 18+
★7.4
Thriller, Drama, Crime
Director: Ali Abbasi
Trailers
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Description
A journalist descends into the dark underbelly of the Iranian holy city of Mashhad as she investigates the serial killings of sex workers by the so called "Spider Killer", who believes he is cleansing the streets of sinners.
US Gross:
$307,188
Worldwide:
$1.25M
Starring
Zar Amir Ebrahimi
Actor
Diana Al Hussen
Actor
Soraya Helli
Actor
Awards
Cannes Film Festival 2022
— Best Actress
European Film Awards 2022
— Best Picture
European Film Awards 2022
— Best Actress
European Film Awards 2022
— Best Director
European Film Awards 2022
— Best Screenplay
Cannes Film Festival 2022
— Palme d'Or
Key opinion
Holy Spider is a harrowing, unflinching crime thriller that explores systemic misogyny and religious fanaticism in Iran through the lens of a real-life serial killer investigation. While the film is widely praised for its powerful performances and tense, realistic atmosphere, critics are divided over whether its direct social critique is poignant or overly simplistic and politically biased.
| Acting | Zar Amir-Ebrahimi provides a commanding performance that effectively grounds the narrative's emotional weight. | |
| Cinematography | The film utilizes stark, documentary-style realism and hypnotic night-time aesthetics to create a visceral and uncomfortable viewing experience. | |
| Direction | The direction successfully elevates the material beyond a standard whodunit into a provocative critique of social and religious hypocrisy. | |
| Screenplay | The script is viewed by some as an essential, aggressive condemnation of institutional misogyny, while others criticize it as a shallow, morally didactic exercise that relies on tropes of Iranian life for Western audiences. | |
| Theme | The film's depiction of a society that fosters support for a fanatical killer offers a chilling and thought-provoking analysis of systemic evil. |