Spiderhead

Directed by Joseph Kosinski, Spiderhead transpires within the confines of a futuristic penitentiary and follows Chris Hemsworth’s Steve Abnesti as he experiments on his various prisoners, including Miles Teller’s Jeff and Jurnee Smollett’s Lizzy, with a series of mood-altering chemicals. It’s an intriguing premise that’s employed to mostly watchable yet thoroughly erratic effect by Kosinski, as the filmmaker, armed with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick’s screenplay, delivers a hit-and-miss thriller that ultimately fares best in its intriguing and relatively propulsive opening stretch – with the narrative’s mysterious, almost confusing bent certainly proving effective at initially capturing the viewer’s interest and attention. (The promising vibe is undoubtedly heightened by Teller and Hemsworth’s compelling work here, with the latter turning in a somewhat oddball performance that remains a continuing highlight.) It’s clear, then, that Spiderhead does begin to palpably peter out once it enters its wheel-spinning midsection and second half, and there’s little doubt, as well, that the curiously subdued third act, which doesn’t contain any real sense of escalation, ensures that the picture concludes on a decidedly anticlimactic note (to put it mildly) – with the final result a mostly half-baked endeavor that just barely manages to squeak by on the strength of its sci-fi-friendly setup and central performances.

**1/2 out of ****