COBWEB: A Surprising Horror Gem

I often like to go into a movie not knowing what to expect, having never watched a trailer, and only having a general idea of what it’s about. Such as; is it a horror or a drama, an action film, or an indie, the less I know oftentimes, the better. That is very much the case with Cobweb, the new horror mystery from Samuel Boldin. I went in blind, knowing only that it was a horror film, I hadn’t watched a trailer, I hadn’t read any reviews, and I barely knew who was acting in the thing (that isn’t to say I don’t know who the actors are, I do, I just didn’t know they were in it). If I’m being completely honest, that may be my new favorite way to see a film, just watch and figure it out.

The movie opens and right away we sense that something is going on with Peter (Woody Norman), he wakes up from a nightmare only to be caught in another. Peter hears something in his walls and when he knocks, it knocks back. Mark and Carol (Anthony Starr and Lizzy Caplan), Peter’s parents, attempt to assure him that old houses make noise and there isn’t anything to worry about. That’s what the parents always say in these situations, “there’s nothing to worry about,” but what Peter doesn’t know is, what’s inside the walls might not even be the worst thing he can come in contact with.

An overall sense of dread

Films like this almost always have one thing in common and that’s usually that no matter what the child is saying, the parents don’t believe them until it’s too late. Woody Norman does a fantastic job as Peter, an eight-year-old kid who is going to school and dealing with bullies then having to come home to a situation that scares him. There are a lot of child actors working out there in the horror genre but this kid is something special. The way Norman handles the transition from a scared child that no one will listen to into the one who gets things done is fantastic.

We’ve also seen the overprotective mother character many times but what’s great about this film and the way that Lizzy Caplan plays the mom is that we only think that’s what we’re seeing. By the time the turn happens and her true character is revealed it catches us all completely off guard. Caplan really captures the creepy in a delicious way that I hadn’t seen from her up until this point. She was great in Cloverfield and now I just want to see her do so many other horror movies.

Of course, no family horror film would be complete without the father figure and that’s where Anthony Starr comes in. I’m not afraid to drop a pun and to say that Starr really shines here is an understatement anyway. We’ve seen from shows like Banshee and The Boys that he has range but he really kicked up his terror factor for this movie. With him at least we can tell right away that something is off but we still don’t have a clue in the world what it is until they show us. After that every move he makes is scary.

The past informs the present

While at school Peter tries to win some favor with his substitute teacher played by Cleopatra Colman, by staying in from recess and dropping hints of trouble. Coleman does an amazing job playing the concerned educator who is just trying to do the right thing for her student and really sells the caring without going into territory that would be considered overstepping. She also has a great arc in the film, though not very surprising, it’s done really well. Honestly, every character in this film was thoroughly fleshed out and acted to perfection.

Cobweb was written by Chris Thomas Devlin who also penned the 2022 Texas Chainsaw Massacre and I have to say, it’s one heck of an original script. The pacing and the dialogue are on point and the twists and surprises felt earned and not forced. On the other side of that, in their directorial debut, was Samuel Boldin. He really set a consistent tone and his use of camera moves was fun and energetic. His style is already starting to show and I’m excited to see what he’s going to do next. Whatever it is, I’m there.

Conclusion:

Original IP is still very much needed right now and this film filled a hole that many people may not have even realized they needed to fill. From the completely original screenplay to the film itself, it had just the right amount of creepy and terror. This is the kind of movie I would stay up late as a kid to watch then not be able to go to bed for hours or sometimes days. At its core, it is a straightforward horror flick but it never pretends to be anything other than that. It does pack enough twists and turns and there are definitely reveals you won’t see coming.

If you like horror or mystery or just like to be kept guessing, then this is a movie that you’re going to need to see. In an already packed horror genre (2023 has definitely already been an excellent year for horror) this movie very much earns a spot among films I’ll be recommending. It came in when I was least expecting it and completely won me over. There is a chance that this could become a series based on how it ended and that wouldn’t hurt my feelings at all. You really need to give this one a shot.

Cobweb is currently available on VOD.

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