This weekend, moviegoers will flock to theaters to watch two of the year’s biggest releases: Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. While we can’t wait for these big-budget flicks, there’s another one that horror fans shouldn’t overlook: Cobweb. The film stars Lizzy Caplan (Cloverfield, Party Down), Antony Starr (The Boys), Woody Norman, and Cleopatra Coleman (Infinity Pool, Dopesick). It is directed by Samuel Bodin (Netflix’s Marianne) and written by Chris Thomas Devlin (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 2022).
Eight-year-old Peter (Woody Norman), who is bullied and feels like an outsider in every way, begins to hear a strange knocking and a voice from his bedroom wall. His parents (Lizzy Caplan and Antony Starr) reassure him that there is nothing to worry about and dismiss his fears. As his preoccupation with the noise persists, and his parents appear to become increasingly unhinged, Peter wants to uncover the truth behind it all.
Norman, Caplan, and Starr drive home the suffocating tension in Cobweb. Lizzy Caplan demonstrates her versatility as an actor once again as her character, Carol, transitions from a worried mother to a Stepford-esque wife. Carol’s reasons are kept hidden, and she is possibly the most disturbing character in the film because you never know what to expect. Caplan’s performance is meant to keep you on edge, and it does.
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Antony Starr, best known for his role as Homelander in The Boys, is no stranger to playing a demented father. However, as the plot progresses, it is discovered that more is happening with his character, Mark. Starr is a captivating actor whose on-screen smile is far from reassuring, and his talents are well utilized to make us shift uncomfortably in our seats.
The film’s true star is young Woody Norman as Peter. His outstanding performance is heartbreaking at times, as he can’t seem to catch a break in life. While child performers in horror can be hit or miss (it is tough to carry fear and terror, after all), there appears to be a greater emphasis on good young talent. In recent years, actors such as Vivien Lyra Blair (The Boogeyman), Mason Thames (The Black Phone), Madeleine McGraw (The Black Phone), Violet McGraw (M3GAN), and Mckenna Grace (Annabelle Comes Home, Ghostbusters: Afterlife) have raised the bar. Norman unquestionably belongs among those talented names as one to watch for.
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The script was written by Chris Thomas Devlin and produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Point Grey Pictures. The project’s director, Samuel Bodin, was an exceptional pick. Marianne, which currently has a 94% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, gave us a taste of his terrifyingly atmospheric approach. Bodin’s directorial talent complements Devlin’s narrative well, immersing audiences in a dark and terrifying story. For some viewers eager to get past the family and school dynamics and into the real horror, the story may linger at points. But patience is rewarded in the end.
Cobweb releases on July 21st exclusively in theaters.
