Netflix Original Sci-Fi Thriller Sees Marvel Star Running A Prison
By now, it feels like there are so many Netflix original projects that even those with big-name stars can get lost in the shuffle. Such was my experience with the 2022 film Spiderhead, which I only just now discovered on the streamer’s library. The film, which stars Chris Hemsworth in the leading roll, is a psychological thriller with science fiction elements, centered around a dystopian prison where inmates become the subject of bizarre experiments.
The Prison
The film begins as Chris Hemsworth’s Steve Abnesti administers drugs to his patients at the state-of-the-art Spiderhead penitentiary. Unlike your standard supermax prison, Spiderhead allows prisoners to roam free without bars or the constant supervision of authoritarian guards.
Instead, inmates are invited to come and go from their living quarters to the common spaces as they please, and keep their minds active with menial chores and occasional emotional and cognitive tests.
N-40
While many of the inmates at Spiderhead don’t seem to mind their droll existence, one new inmate, Jeff, is still reeling from the unfortunate series of events that led to his incarceration.
During a drunken bender, Jeff decided to drive while under the influence, resulting in a crash which killed his best friend. To alleviate his suffering, Dr. Abnesti administers a so-called “love drug” titled N-40, which has the adverse reaction of raising Jeff’s libido, leading him to sleep with multiple inmates at the facility.
Critics Didn’t Love It
As Jeff continues to navigate the highs and lows of his treatment, he begins to uncover a bizarre conspiracy at the center of Dr. Abnesti’s work, which has chilling implications for the entire prison.
As Spiderhead builds to a thrilling conclusion, the audience is drawn deeper and deeper into the twisted psyche of the doctor, and the truth behind the Spiderhead penitentiary.
Spiderhead originally premiered on Netflix in the Summer of 2022 to mixed reviews. Today, the film touts a paltry 39 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.
While certain elements of the film were praised by critics, such as its setting and leading performances, other parts were slammed as being too unrealistic, pseudo-heady, and needlessly over-dramatic.
The Cast
Personally, I thought Spiderhead was a solid movie, though I was surprised that I never heard of it when it first premiered. Chris Hemsworth’s performance as Dr. Steve Abnesti serves as a high watermark for the film, while supporting actors such as Miles Teller, Jurnee Smollett, Mark Paguio, and Alien: Covenent‘s Tess Haubrich do an excellent job at making the world of Spiderhead feel real and lived-in.
Top Gun: Maverick filmmaker Joseph Kosinski serves as the director for the sci-fi adventure, in his third feature length collaboration with Miles Teller.
Stream It Now
GFR SCORE
Obviously, Spiderhead isn’t the greatest film in the world, but those looking to kill 107 minutes with an intriguing sci-fi premise and a stacked cast can surely appreciate the film. Those interested in checking this one out can stream Spiderhead on Netflix today. Just be sure not to let the mind-bending narrative of this shocking film trick you into going off your meds.
