Based on a horrible true story, Holy Spider is another film from talented director Ali Abbasi (who has a small, but excellent, filmography, including helming the superb Border). Written for the screen by Abbasi and Afshin Kamran Bahrami, it’s basically a serial killer movie with the added angle of how the killings were viewed disturbingly favourably by many in the affected area of Iran.
Zar Amir-Ebrahimi plays Rahimi, a female journalist who wants to report on a number of murders that she sees are clearly connected. The police don’t seem to be doing their best, and the fact that the victims have all been prostitutes allows the killer to claim that he is helping to clean the streets of sin. Will he be caught, and what will be the punishment if/when that happens?
Expertly constructed by Abbasi and Bahrami, Holy Spider works as well as it does because of how effectively it straddles two strong touchstones. The more standard serial killer moments are excellent, tense and uncomfortable, but also equal parts fascinating and infuriating as you watch how quickly and easily the vulnerable can be turned into prey. Then there is the damning commentary on how the killer was viewed by so many people who wouldn’t condemn his actions. This is tied into an overview of a misogynistic patriarchal structure that viewers can quickly see as being a perfect environment for this killer and his motivation.
Amir-Ebrahimi is fantastic in her role, portraying a strong and brave woman who is constantly trying to navigate territory full of people who are openly hostile to her, either due to her job or simply due to her being a woman. She is allowed to speak out when overwhelmed by the situation, but her performance is equally commendable for the portrayal of her frustration when she knows she cannot speak freely. Other cast members do good work, nobody here drops the ball, but the other person to single out is Mehdi Bajestani, portraying a man who is typical of many in the attitude towards women, and especially towards women working within the sex industry. Completely confident in his opinions and beliefs, Bajestani is all the better for being surrounded by many who (silently or explicitly) validate his viewpoint.
There’s not much more left for me to say about Holy Spider. From the uncomplicated visuals to the pacing, from the characters used to highlight various facets of the societal problem much larger and more dangerous than “just one man” to the score (courtesy of Martin Dirkov), this rarely puts a foot wrong. Up there with the very best films of 2022, and I hope people check it out whenever they get the chance.
9/10
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