Cobweb
Kid-centric horror flick is short but not short enough and better suited to spooky season.
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Horror movies are often at their best when child characters are placed in jeopardy. Where would we be without Regan MacNeil getting possessed, Alex Kintner getting eaten, Danny Torrance rolling around the Overlook Hotel on a Big Wheel or Cole Sear seeing dead people?
“Cobweb” (opening Friday, July 21 in select theaters including Indianapolis-area venues Tibbs Drive-in, Regal Shiloh Crossing and AMC Indianapolis 17) doesn’t hit anywhere near these heights, but it’s a kid-centric horror flick focusing on an 8-year-old boy named Peter (Woody Norman of Mike Mills’ “C’mon C’mon”).
Peter’s parents Carol (Lizzy Caplan) and Mark (Antony Starr) are strange folks who are excessively strict with their son. He isn’t popular at school and often gets bullied by his classmate Brian (Luke Samson Busey – Gary’s youngest son). Peter’s clearest and closest ally is his substitute teacher Miss Devine (Cleopatra Coleman). His life goes from bad to worse when he starts hearing things that go bump in the night and suspects his parents might be the ones responsible for whatever or whomever that thing might be.
“Cobweb” marks the feature directorial debut of Samuel Bodin (he previously helmed the entirety of the 2019 French Netflix horror series “Marianne”) and is scripted by 2022 “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” scribe Chris Thomas Devlin.
A lot about the movie works. Norman and Coleman cut sympathetic figures. Caplan and Starr are old pros and make their admittedly limited characters appropriately unhinged. It’s a blast to see Busey (who looks strikingly like his father and older brother, Jake) play Peter’s bully and where his subplot ultimately goes is a laugh and a half and somewhat reminiscent of “Let the Right One In.”
I was fairly impressed by a lot of the flick’s tech specs. Drum & Lace’s score is suitably moody. The cinematography by Philip Lozano, editing by “Saw VI,” “Saw 3D” and “Saw X” director Kevin Greutert and Richard Riffaud and especially the production design by Alan Gilmore (he oversaw “The Pope’s Exorcist” earlier this year) work in lockstep to make Peter’s home a house of horrors.
A lot about the film doesn’t work. It’s only 88 minutes, but feels far longer. This would’ve played better as a short as opposed to a feature. It isn’t especially memorable – I only watched the movie 10 days ago and can hardly remember how it concluded. Also, why was this released in July as opposed to October? This flick screams Halloween … Peter’s parents’ backyard is a pumpkin patch for Pete’s sake! (Pun very much intended!) In all likelihood Lionsgate and producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg know more about the movie biz than your intrepid critic and are angling to release the film on digital and physical media closer to spooky season for greater cha-ching.
My suggestion is this – either catch the flick at a drive-in (it’s playing as part of a horror triple bill alongside “Insidious: The Red Door” and “Terrifier” at Tibbs this weekend) or follow Lionsgate, Rogen and Goldberg’s possible plan and hold off until Halloween when this will have a greater impact.