User reviews

A killer trawls the streets of Mashhad City, shows no remorse, regret or shame, there is no pity, for the women that he kills, I'm sure he gets plenty of thrills, as a self-appointed one man vigilante. A journalist begins investigations, in a culture that's built on male foundations, but she's persistent and quite brave, to stop the girls going to graves, and to suffer prejudice, of generations.

It's a brutal depiction of events, as a disgruntled, discontented and disturbed psychopath decides to take the lives of several women who have been left with no choice but to sell themselves on the streets to survive (or not as it turns out). I thought Zar Amir-Ebrahimi was brilliant as the stubborn and relentless journalist who tenaciously puts her own life in peril to track the killer down.

'Holy Spider' is the kind of film where if it were a fictional tale you would think what a dark perspective of the world it has chosen to take. The fact that it is based on a true story, and a man like this was actually considered to be doing the work of God, not just by himself but by the public at large as well, is incredibly sobering.

I loved that the film chose to tell the story from two perspectives, the killer and the journalist hunting him. There are certainly times to have some mystery surround your film's antagonist, but this was not one of them. Some of the kill scenes and the scenes where he was coming to terms with what he was doing were extremely well done and some of the strongest moments the film had to offer.

Don't come into this film looking for any kind of light relief. The subject matter is heavy and the film handles itself in like-wise fashion from start to finish. It's a well told story though that will certainly leave audiences with some thinking and reflecting to do. 7.5/10.

I watched this film yesterday on the Golden Apricot film festival and its rating of 6.6 makes little sense to me.

It is a crafty film that takes you on a suspenseful trip with moments of well-placed humor.

The Iranian setting is somewhat overdramatized, but I believe that works for the film, rather than against it.

The important note here is that the true Spider Killer received very little to no support from the Iranian society.

The overall setting is somber, it is relatively violent, there is a lot of room given for the personal development of our characters, there is social criticism, great acting, and powerful sound design.

My only criticism is that secondary characters could have given more screen-time to act out their emotional curve, as there performances were really strong.

I strongly recommend this to anyone that loves European film and/or true crime pieces.

Easily an eight!

The movie beautifully portrays the injustice that women face in Iran, and how corrupt the justice and jurisdiction system is. I used to live in Iran as a child and I remember the how terribly people were being treated in the name of "Allah and Islam". To me, this movie was extremely thrilling because it resurfaced some of my childhood traumas, and that tells me how relatable and well made this movie is. The actors and actresses were absolutely amazing. Making a movie outside of Iran about inside of Iran is not easy. I can't imagine how difficult it was for the actors and actresses get mentally prepared for their roles and get in character, since they all have been living outside of Iran for a long time. Most interesting movie of the year!

With the seamless performances of the cast the Holy Spider takes a radical look at the social trends, culture, policing and religion. When the story considered the mood is not that of Hollywood style. It's rawness is what induces the nauseating effect of heinous crimes we see a bored mental patient commits. Visuals are sharp and precise. The cinematic take is powerful enough to make anyone reconsider their notions about underprivileged. The political read is extremely well-done. It shows how Saeed becomes a vessel for his society's hate. Description on societal nativity is excellent. Holy Spider is a different way of looking at the known ugliness.

Over a relatively short period of time, over a dozen dead women are found bundled by the roadside - and the police are baffled? The women have not been sexually assaulted, but strangled using a knot tied in their headscarves. Not convinced that everything is being done by the authorities, investigative journalist "Rahimi" (Zar Amir-Ebrahimi) decides to get to the truth. Meantime, we follow the life of taxi driver "Saeed" (Mehdi Bajestani) and his daily life helps us to realise that the deceased were prostitutes. Not that he uses them, but pretty soon we realise that the stories are connected. At this point the plot rather falls away - we get to the bottom of the murder-mystery a little too simplistically for my liking; but actually as that plot develops we realise that the whodunit element of the narrative is not the most important one. It rapidly becomes an evaluation of a judicial process - and of vocal popular opinion - that may just indicate that these killings are in someway justifiable. These women, were - after all, sinful and irredeemable. Can the killer capitalise on this zealousness and escape justice? It's quite an intriguing film that looks at how religious faith can butt - head to head - with civic justice; of how the ordinarily law-abiding public themselves can; of how a person can genuinely believe he is doing good by removing "stains" from his community... I cannot believe anyone from the West would watch this with anything other than a feeling of abhorrence at the offences, but this film does attempt to put both sides in a thought-provoking fashion. Though it didn't change my opinion, it did offer a balance that makes the last twenty minutes or so a lot less fait accompli than we might expect. Bajestani is good here and this is more than just a good vs. Evil crime drama. Well worth a watch. Telly will be fine, though.

The first half is a pretty effective horror movie when it comes to a modern Jack the Ripper in the 2000s of Iran. There a lot of good scenes that help us go into a mental space. All behind the superficial facade of religion and decadence. The second half would have become even more scarier if it ended how it seemed it would. Good thing it ended the hollywood way...

This sociopath did how he was raised and how he interpreted his religion. It is not a action that everybody would do, even if they think of it and even if they would approve if anybody else would do it. The world, even theirs, ran by their religion, doesn't work like that. The second half was scarier because we were (for a moment) on a path of a revolution of moral values. Some even thought of the lesser evil, and there is a strong discussion here as well I will not go into...but in the end true fundamental morals won.

Holy Spider, considering the fact that it shows the radical face of the Islamic government in Iran (something that Iranian filmmakers are not allowed to make due to censorship and threats) and that it was made in a country other than the origin of the events (which causes only Iranians to have problems in the scene design) and understand the places) is a powerful film and has been able to depict the harms and sufferings of the plague of radical religious thoughts in a religious country due to the good script and strong performances of the actors. If we want to compare a fictional film with the documentary version of the courtship, due to the many differences in the content of these two types, it is so absurd and stupid that it is better not to even try to make this comparison.

As someone who actually lives in the city the events of this movie happened in any bad review of this movie usually containing bad and broken english is not a real person and either is someone trying to make this movie look bad or it is someone working for the corrupt islamic regime of iran, this movie perfectly shows the social situation of iran and the city mashhad especially ,women are treated unjustly and un-equally even this movie is labeled as "dishonoring holy beliefs" and therefore is illegal and dont get me started on the cencorship laws perventing this movie ever going on screen in iran atleast under the islamic regime ,but anyways the movie.

Unfun fact the interview footage at the end of the movie is based of what the son of saeed hanaee(the spider killers real name) actually said in an actual interview...

Where to even start the cinematography ,the lighting ,the atmosphere the feeling it gives you as characters panic you are on the edge of your seat panic-ing with them everything about this movie is just perfect but a warning to anyone light hearted or anyone who gets uncomfortable easily and all that this movie for lack of a better word decimates you ,at about the halfway point I was physically exhausted and had to take a break ,I noticed I was tense and was contracting muscles in some really disturbing scenes ,This movie is just something else ,A True Masterpiece.

Based on a true story of Saeed hanaei,a man who killed 16 sex workers in iran,and branded as a super hero... Though being cruel and shocking,surprisingly reaches to a tight & tense situation of what's happening in iran currently & high society conservatives influencing the monster and symbolising them as saviour of sin indulging in heroic act... Zar Amir ibrahami upholds the movie with her strong morality breaking the stereotypes of women's life in iran...she was honoured with best actress award at the Cannes too... Mehdi bajestani delivers quitely & deadly at times,his body language sends some spine chilling unsettling moments that's hard to beat out... Overall a genuine piece of cinema...

It wouldn't be good if it goes longer. However, have no idea whether the author wanted to show what is right(execution of the guilty person) or how it should be done(said in the last speech of one of characters)?! We know that everywhere corruption is present, mostly when taking the power is the question, but someone is guilty for killing whatever power is and I guess it is the right message. The point is that through propaganda to big masses can be imposed that in the holy name of religion everything may be protected, even that kind of killing of prostitutes, but thanks there is still some law, as it is in Iran, justice can be served.

I congratulate the people involved in making this extremely valuable movie. Cinematic works related to Iran that are made outside of Iran without the support of the Iranian government often follow one of these two paths. Either their film is a film with formal games and a bad story (such as Women Without Men and Rhinoceros) or a film that is not refined, which is deliberately produced for an audience in a small geographical area (like almost all films that focus on Iran environment or character) The brightness of the holy spider requires another space to write but I would like to express my sincere thanks to the creators of this work for not stepping in either of those two paths.

Not shy about violence and hate, this movie is not for the faint of heart. This is a drama, but the abundance of violence feels justified for the narrative. It is based on a true story of a religious family man who hunted sex workers in the nights of Mashhad (Iran). The main character, a journalist woman who is investigating the event, is not likely part of the real events. But her addition to the movie gives us a point of view to empathize with, as well as it empowers women.

The depiction of the murderer as a man you almost start to empathize with, until you watch him kill another women, is a very risky move by the director, but it pays off beautifully. It helps the viewer understand the effects of dehumanization of sex workers in a religious society. Where children are playing the violence too.

This movie has a lot to say about women, religion, group think, and sex work. The messages are subtle yet powerful. It's well made and masterfully acted by all, specially the lead woman who won the Cannes best actor award.

Denmark's official Oscar submission for International Film (short-listed, but not nominated) Ali Abbasi's grim HOLY SPIDER is based on a series of murders of prostitutes in Iran during 2000 and 2001. 16 women in total were killed. In Abbasi's telling, the focus is split between the murderer and a female journalist investigating the case.

Rahimi (Zar Amir-Ebrahimi) is a reporter who comes to the holy city of Mashhad to uncover what is behind these homicides. She is portrayed as a liberated crusader who lets nothing, including the shady local police, get in her way. Abbasi (who co-wrote with a pair of writers) hasn't structured the movie as a mystery. The killer, Saeed (a chilling Mehdi Bajestani), is revealed quite early on. A family man and war veteran, Saeed sees himself to be on a holy mission to rid his city of the evils of society embodied by these ladies of the night.

HOLY SPIDER is a movie of contradictions. It does ask the provocative question of whether murder is ever justified if the killer feels they are serving a higher purpose. Saeed is a father, but, he is exterminating some women who are parents as well (not to mention being daughters). He is also depicted as being a very religious disciple (the term fatwa is cited). Rahimi, the reporter, also crosses several journalistic lines - but, is she justified if it solves the case?

Those are all fascinating questions, but, Abbasi's filmmaking is disconcerting. He feels it necessary to detail several murders in gruesome, graphic detail. They often feel like they are from a grimy 70s grindhouse film. Further, he starts the movie showing one of the victims topless. Not in a sexual way at all, but, as she dresses getting ready to put her kid to bed. There is no story reason to do so; It feels as if its almost a provocation to Iranian and religious authorities who might see the film (on cue, HOLY SPIDER has been condemned by those very figures). Abbasi also takes liberties with the facts of the case such as showing one of the murders taking place on 9/11 - even though Saeed had already been arrested by that date. Another provocation.

There is no question that the Spider murders is an important case. The current protests by Iranian women gives the movie added urgency. The acting and technical aspects are extremely well handled. Still, the viciousness and repetitiveness of the killing scenes never seem justified; Further, by showing them in such thorough detail, they take away some of the impact from a pair of climactic scenes later on. By then, the viewer is inured from any shock value. The ultimate contradiction here is whether Abbasi's choices do more to honor or to dishonor the victims.

In Islam is a sin to murder yourselves and others.

This is thriller?

Maybe from the eyes of the reporter.

But most of the movie is a distorted vision of a distorted and delusion mind, the killer.

The idea that Alá dont allow murder exept for some especial choosen ones called martires is distortional and well explored. Are all Iranian distorted? Probably not.

Some say this is portrait of Iran society but didnt understood the movie and move on to political conclusions, if one thing this movie show is that Iran like any other country have flaws and things that need to improve.

Prostitution is a subject sensitive in all countries in the world, despite that is the oldest profession in the world. Should we kill everything that is wrong or find a solution without hanging our brothers?

I repeat: This is a dystopian vision from a dystopian mind from the begging till the end, the reporter is secondary.

It's a great movie.

Amazing! I did not know what I was getting into... I decided to watch it based on the high rating and the reviews. The fact that it was inspired by true events really had me intrigued.

I was blown away by the main character played by Zahra Amir Ebrahimi as soon as she was introduced in her first scene. We know right away this is a woman who doesn't take any crap from anyone. The writing and rest of the performances were impeccable. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the film. Not that this film wasn't perfect the way it is but I hope this film falls into the hands of the right director, someone like Kathryn Bigelow, and gets it remade so that it can reach a wider audience.

Possible spoilers ahead..... * * * I wish there was an epilogue of some sort that they would show more of how the killer's wife will be affected later on. Perhaps she will turn into one of these woman herself now that she is left with providing the family herself. Especially since it was hinted when people were cheering for the killer, she told her son that people will forget later on and leave them to their misery. Even though it showed that the son might continue his father's work and profoundly demonstrated on his sister, I think the movie will really hit home if they showed that the wife will have no choice but to resort to such acts just like the women who were killed... such as the one in the first opening scene, who we later find out she resorted to prostitution because her husband was in jail...

In the gritty and gripping 'Holy Spider', director Ali Abbasi weaves a chilling web, exposing the sinister underbelly of Iran's holy city, Mashhad. This film is a relentless, skin-crawling thriller that delves into the mind of a serial killer targeting sex workers, all while challenging societal norms and religious hypocrisy. With an intensity that lingers long after the credits roll, Abbasi's latest offering is a far cry from your typical cat-and inherit-the-dark thriller.

The narrative follows the relentless Rahimi (Zar Amir Ebrahimi), a courageous and headstrong journalist who, driven by her own personal demons, embarks on an obsessive quest to uncover the truth behind the gruesome murders plaguing Mashhad. As she delves deeper into the city's seedy underbelly, Rahimi encounters the enigmatic and deeply disturbed Saeed (Mehdi Bajestani), a man who believes he is on a divine mission to cleanse the city of sin. The film's strength lies in its portrayal of these two complex characters, each driven by their own moral compass, colliding in a twisted game of cat and mouse.

Ali Abbasi's direction is unflinching, capturing the dusty, sun-baked streets of Mashhad with a sense of foreboding. The camera lingers on the city's stark contrasts-from the sacred shrines to the seedy motels and back alleys-mirroring the moral ambiguities at play. The cinematography is both beautiful and haunting, with each frame meticulously composed to heighten the sense of unease. The film's pacing is deliberate, building tension as Rahimi's investigation progresses, and while some viewers might find it slow-burning, it mirrors the methodical nature of both the protagonist's pursuit and the killer's meticulous planning.

The performances are nothing short of exceptional. Ebrahimi, in a career-defining role, portrays Rahimi with a fierce determination, making her both relatable and admirable. Her portrayal of a woman navigating a male-dominated society, battling against corruption and misogyny, is a powerful statement on the strength of women in a system that seeks to silence them. Opposite her, Bajestani's Saeed is a terrifying creation, a man whose piousness masks a deep-seated psychosis. The scenes between these two actors are electric, particularly in their final confrontation, where the tension is palpable.

'Holy Spider' also offers a scathing critique of societal and religious hypocrisy. Abbasi skillfully weaves themes of moral judgment, corruption, and the treatment of women into the narrative, providing a thought-provoking commentary on the intersection of religion and justice. The film dares to ask uncomfortable questions about the nature of good and evil, and whether they are as distinct as we'd like to believe.

While the film excels in its character study and social commentary, some viewers might find the graphic nature of the killings and the overall grim tone challenging. Abbasi does not shy away from depicting the brutality of the murders, which, while serving the narrative, may be disturbing for some audiences. However, these scenes are not gratuitous but rather serve to emphasize the urgency of Rahimi's quest and the depravity of the killer's mind.

In conclusion, 'Holy Spider' is a powerful and unsettling journey into the darkest corners of human nature, societal norms, and religious fervor. Abbasi has crafted a thriller that is as intelligent as it is disturbing, leaving viewers with more questions than answers, which is perhaps the mark of a truly thought-provoking piece of cinema.

What made me interested in Holy Spider is the fact that this film is multinational: the director and the actors are Iranian, the film is produced by a French, a German and two Danish companies, it's in Persian language, and the film is Denmark's candidate to the Best International Feature Film category on the Academy Awards.

I didn't have knowledge of the plot or the story behind the film, I was completely blind (something that's more and more common and I'm proud of). And, unfortunately, I felt the one thing that I shouldn't feel: indifference. And that's because of a creative decision that I will talk deeply from now.

The movie alternates between two plots: the journalist's one (the protagonist, Zar Amir-Ebrahimi) and the killer's one (Mehdi Bajestani). While the investigative one (the journalist) is uninteresting, the characters are not charismatic, the killer's one has the worst approach possible: it's treated almost like a slasher movie.

In a slasher movie, like Friday the 13th, Scream and Bodies Bodies Bodies, it's impossible not to root for at least one character to die. This approach takes the burden of all deaths, and due to what I said on the last sentence, it's not possible to root against Saeed. So, as it's not possible to root against him and it's not possible to root for him either, for obvious reasons, the only feeling left is the already said indifference.

And how Rahimi figures out that Saeed is the killer is something terribly written. Terribly. Maybe 2022's biggest example of narrative convenience. I would delete the whole Saeed's plot and focus entirely on the investigation. It's uninteresting because it's rushed, and focus more on the relationship between Rahimi, the journal and the police than on the investigation itself.

It's a technically good film, the message is fundamental (and made me understand why this movie is competing for an Oscar under the Denmark flag) and the cast is great, but the structural choice, for me, was unforgivable.