Spider

A progressively interminable endeavor, Spider details the exploits of three activists during Salvador Allende’s reign in 1970s Chile – with the movie also exploring the protagonists’ current-day circumstances. The degree to which Spider eventually runs out of steam is nothing short of tragic, as filmmaker Andrés Wood kicks the picture off with a tremendously promising opening stretch that’s heightened by stylish visuals and fantastic performances. It becomes more and more clear, unfortunately, that scripters’ Guillermo Calderón and Wood’s decision to emphasize the two time periods proves rather disastrous, as the contemporary stuff is focused predominantly on elements one couldn’t possibly care less about (eg there’s a heavy emphasis on the strained relationship between one of the activists and her son). The somewhat rudderless atmosphere paves the way for an increasingly ineffective midsection, as Wood’s meandering sensibilities are exacerbated by the disastrous lack of purpose (ie the movie succeeds as neither a love triangle drama nor a political thriller, ultimately). And while it’s almost impressive just how unlikable these central characters are – in a bizarre last-minute twist, one of them even turns out to be a violent racist! – Spider is, in the end, a hopelessly half-baked endeavor that provides little, if any, insight into a real-life scenario.

1/2* out of ****