A stupid kid doesn’t realizing she is raising a killer spider in Sting, an effective indie monster movie about a giant alien spider that hunts the inhabitants of a small apartment building one by one.
With a few gruesome kills and some fly-sticking situations, writer/director Kiah Roache-Turner establishes a mounting sense of dread that ensnares you in a creepy web of death. Though not an explosively venomous monster movie, it spins up some likable characters (yes, including that stupid kid, played well by Alyla Browne), a taut story, and shiver-inducing creature design.
Sting could have benefited from bigger fangs, it’s true. Who lives and dies is pretty predictable, including the animals. I would have like to seen a little more ruthlessness in this matter, which would have amped up the suspense considerably.
But that aside, there is little not to like. I particularly appreciated Ryan Carr as Ethan, and Jermaine Fowler, though underutilized as the exterminator, is entertaining. The spider is scary. Victims die in nasty ways. The climax is exciting.
It’s easy to get caught up in Sting’s web. Let it, and you might find yourself asking for more venom.
Random mention: for an Australian production, there’s a noticeable lack of Aussie accents (the movie is set in New York).
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.
