Holy Spider

Inspired by actual events, Holy Spider is an Iranian story as Iranians would never dare to film it. The protagonist is a courageous atheist journalist who is arrogantly disrespected by the police chief when she politely turns him down. The hunt for a serial killer who targets prostitutes is only the first act, followed by a reflection on the Iranian mentality dominated by the power of faith. Indeed, a significant number of Iranians see "cleansing the streets of prostitutes" as a pious activity. The centerpiece of the narrative and the most complexly portrayed character is the murderer, a good family man who acts in good faith. This is a brilliant, layered drama that far exceeds the thematic possibilities of similar Western genre movies and which needs no abstract artsy interludes to enthrall even the most discerning viewer. (22.12.2022)

Ali Abbasi serves up a hunt for an Iranian serial killer who murdered prostitutes in the horrific Mashhad in 2000-2001. The director quite cleverly attracts two camps of viewers, pleasing fans of serial killers and fans of disturbing Muslim culture, and it definitely works. A reporter arrives in Mashhad and decides to look for the killer, as the police have ignored the case and the victims keep coming. Zar Amir Ebrahimi won the best actress award and is definitely impressive. The film works well as a detective thriller where the killer is introduced to the audience quite early on, but it doesn't get in the way too much. The killer may not be all that interesting, he carries out all the murders in the same way and quite simply, he is the known as the Strangler, but it looks very realistic and authentic and you can feel the life being snuffed out of the victims. This is greatly aided by the eerie and unconventional setting based on Muslim culture and traditions. There is also a trial, which always pleases me, but the highlight was the fact that for many locals the killer was a hero as he murdered unclean women committing sins to Allah. The most powerful scene is the reporter's direct confrontation with the devil himself. The form is slightly televisual, but that can be forgiven. A decent film. 75%. (06.12.2022)

I remember the comic by Riad Sattouf "One day you will be an Arab", where he processes his childhood experiences in the Syrian countryside. He describes the murder of a girl by her closest relatives as a punishment for an unacceptable love affair. The murderers became the most respected individuals in the local community and were presented as a moral example of society. Ali Abbasi didn't intend to make a regular thriller about a mentally disturbed sociopath. He was intrigued by the religious motive of purifying society from sin, which the perpetrator defended during his rampage in court, as well as the support of a significant part of the Iranian public that he enjoyed. Through his protagonist, the journalist Rahim, whom he confronts with the incompetence and prejudices of the local authorities, the director presents a bitter testimony of how the Iranian religious regime appears and operates. Abbasi, as an immigrant from the country where he spent his adolescence, understands and thanks to him, the Iranian realities look authentic, even though it was naturally filmed elsewhere. Audiences should not be surprised that it reveals more than usual in terms of both intimacy and violence, in order to create a compelling effect. The thriller element works smoothly thanks to the appropriate use of music and editing. The acting is flawless. Overall impression: 90%. (27.10.2022)

An honest police procedural and social drama, with an emphasis on Muslim antediluvian preconceptions of women's rights and "the meaning of life". I'll start with the latter – Ali Abbasi delivers it in such an incredibly evocative way that it truly helps the viewer get into the social discourse while also presenting some pretty compelling reasons (from the perspective of the local citizens). The opening is a thriller like something from Fincher and any ride through the darkened Iranian alleys filled with filth and vice will have atmosphere like crazy. One of the films of the year. [80%] (11.12.2022)