The Girl in the Spider’s Web Movie Review: A Thriller That Keeps Simmering and Never Reaches the Boiling Point

I am a huge Fede Álvarez fan. Don't Breathe and Evil Dead are two of my most favourite movies. So, of course, I was looking forward to watching his latest offering The Girl In The Spider's Web. Well, the movie has been watched and I will stick to his first two movies only. Thank you, next! I was really enjoying The Girl In The Spider's Web for the first 15-20 minutes but after that watching the movie became a tedious task.

From start to end it maintains its tonality, which in some cases might be a good thing. Here it was not. I expected things to go batshit crazy in the end. I expected one insane climax in the end. I expected the movie to be a crescendo instead of being a pot of water that keeps simmering but never comes to a boil. Let us not even discuss the number of times the movie defies logic or takes part in celebrating coincidences as plot driving antics. On second thoughts, let's discuss.

Sorry but it is tough for me to believe that world-class hacker who can remotely get into America's military database can be so unimaginably easy to track down? Talking about coincidences, if the protagonist needs a dose of Amphetamine, that will be the first thing she will find in a stranger's home. If she wants to check who her ex is hanging out with, she'd hack into his laptop and very conveniently 'the other woman' will be standing right in front of the webcam. The list is long.

Credit where it is due, The Girl In The Spider's Web is a beautifully shot film. Frame after frame is a visual delight. The movie is certainly a masterclass in good cinematography if nothing else. The taskmaster here is Pedro Luque. For someone like me who hates movies which are badly shot, no matter how good the story of it is, this Fede flick is a good ride. The background score qualifies the makers for another pat on the back. If anything that drew me to immerse myself in what was happening on screen, it was the haunting music.

The actors have all played their parts well. I do not know anything about the protagonist and the books she is based on, but I really loved Lisbeth Salander. The character is played by Claire Foy and she has done a good job. She gets shots where she drives away from an explosion with all the swagger in the world in her. But at the same time, the actress also brings out the pain, anguish, vulnerability, conflict of the character on screen successfully. That is a success for writers also. They don't etch out the character as someone with guts of metal, but a rather as a sharp and smart human being with all the perils of being a 'human' intact. She writhes in pain. She cries. Her entire body starts shaking with fear when she is in imminent danger. Her eyes tear up when she is in agonising emotional trauma. She is so badass and yet a human. Something that has gone missing from action movies long ago.

Yayy

-Masterclass in cinematography

-Brilliant background score

-Actors have played their part well

Nayy

-Get to the point already

-Slow AF

-Logic. What's that?

-How many more movies can Hollywood make about a troubled anti-hero saving a kid from the big bad world? It's a stale idea - that's the point here.

If you are a sucker for thrillers, go for The Girl In The Spider's Web. But honestly, the movie has not much to offer anything than a stale logic-defying storyline told with a beautiful work of the camera. The action sequences are not plenty but what are there are cool. The movie is mildly enjoyable for people who have no idea about the source material, like me.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 23, 2018 12:41 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).