‘Cobweb’: Cast & Crew
Director: Samuel Bodin
Cast: Lizzy Caplan, Antony Starr, Cleopatra Coleman, Woody Norman, Luke Busey, Aleksandra Dragova, Debra Wilson
Available On: Lionsgate Play
Duration: 1 Hour 28 Minutes
‘Cobweb’: Story
An eight-year-old boy (Woody Norman) tries to investigate the mysterious knocking sounds that are coming from inside the walls of his house, unveiling a dark secret that his sinister parents have kept hidden from him. Will he be able to uncover this mystery? Will there be more than what meets the eye? Will the boy be able to survive this new piece of information that he gets? Will something paranormal occur? Well, for all that you’ll have to watch ‘Cobweb’.
‘Cobweb’: Performances
Lizzy Caplan is decent. Her facial expressions don’t give you the chills but they definitely make you feel uneasy. Her anxious antics make you feel like there’s something sinister going around and that draws you more and more into the story. Lizzy Caplan’s screen time may be less, but she definitely nails it with her act.
Antony Starr has minimal screen time and it seems like he has been pretty much wasted in a character that doesn’t have too much to do onscreen. There is just one scene where you’re actually feeling like he is getting the act together but then that doesn’t last for long, and he is again back to being just there.
Cleopatra Coleman doesn’t have too much screen time, but she does decently well.
Woody Norman, the little kid, is brilliant. Not only does he make all your childhood scares feel so real and alive, but he makes you feel like you’re actually living them.
‘Cobweb’: Script, Direction & Technical Aspects
Chris Thomas Devlin’s writing is what makes the film worth the watch. It’s so well-detailed that you’re going to savour every moment even if you’re constantly expecting the jump scare to be just right around the corner. The climax is very well written as well which leaves you wanting more and more of the spooky fest.
The direction by Samuel Bodin is brilliant. He makes sure that the audience is hooked on what’s happening next. There is not an instant in the film when you don’t feel impatient to know what’s coming up. The way Samuel Bodin encapsulates the different aspects makes you hooked on the story. He not only makes your mind wander in one direction, and then the very next instant you’re thinking of a different theory about the things that are happening onscreen. Leaving the audience in such two minds is a tough thing to achieve and Samuel Bodin got that balance really perfectly.
Philip Lozano very beautifully paints the picture of a scary little small town in the US with his spot-on cinematography. What’s so brilliant about the camerawork is that it doesn’t give you away everything at the very start. Lozano keeps you guessing about what’s the horror element. He gives you glimpses and keeps building up your intrigue till the point when you actually are face to face with the horror element in the climax, you’re utterly horrified and scared to your wits. The usage of POV camera angles for showing the horror element is what gives you the chills.
The editing by Kevin Greutert and Richard Riffaud is also just perfect. He makes you jump right into the heart of the story without delaying the thrills and chills and at the same time doesn’t even go beyond the 1.5-hour mark making it crisp and taut.
Drum & Lace’s music creates the perfect atmosphere for you to feel the horror effect. The eerie background score makes you squint your eyes and wait in fear for the jump scares. Their music makes you feel like you’re right there in the midst of the action.
‘Cobweb’: Can Kids Watch It?
Yes
Outlook’s Verdict
‘Cobweb’ is spine-chilling. While it’s short, it doesn’t leave you space to breathe and you’re just hooked on what’s happening from the very start. You’re cramped for space and you’re just doled out a deluge of thrill with a tinge of horror, which gets a degree higher when the climax appears. If you’re a horror aficionado, then ‘Cobweb’ is definitely a Great Repeatable Watch. I am going with 4 stars.
