COBWEB: A Perfect October Flick — Arriving a Touch Too Soon

A young boy is haunted by something within the walls of his house, but his peculiar parents brush off his fears, seemingly hiding a dark secret of their own. Starring Lizzy Caplan and Antony Starr, Cobweb is a twisted tale about the things that go bump in the night, filled with spooky style — even if it does contain some flaws.

Peter (Woody Norman) is an introverted child, mocked by his classmates and often the target of a school bully. Things aren’t much better at home, as his parents Carol (Caplan) and Mark (Starr) have created an isolating life and stern rule over their child.

Recently, Peter has been awaken by noises from behind his bedroom walls. His mother dismisses his concerns, blaming the old house, and his father urges him to stop having nightmares. But things continue to get worse.

At school, Peter’s new substitute teacher Miss Devine (Cleopatra Coleman) takes a kind liking to him, recognizing something is troubling him. But the more she attempts to pry, the more angry the parents get. But the horrifying truth may come to light as Halloween night approaches.

Cobweb certainly nails the assignment when creating a haunting atmosphere with a sinister house and unsettling frights. A suffocating and foreboding old home where only the moonlight can peer through its windows. There’s no denying the film has style.

Its first two-thirds relish in the bizarre. Everything feels so obvious, yet you can’t quite suss out where it’s going. It maintains its quirks while keeping you creeped out at the right moments. Though, it felt a little over-the-top at times — sometimes Caplan seemed to channel her Castle Rock character a bit too much.

But despite some overtly melodramatic moments, Cobweb keeps your curiosity. And by the third act, things get a little off-the-wall—at times, literally—which makes for an amusing finale. It almost feels like an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? with a higher budget (which I mean in a good way).

Though in the end, there were aspects that felt underdeveloped. While Miss Devine is the saving grace you hope for, we don’t see much of why she feels such a protective nature toward Peter. Perhaps it was cut down in editing, as scenes/dialog seem missing from the initial trailer. But it would have been great to have seen a stronger bond or connection between the two.

More undeveloped aspects bleed into the reveal — which I won’t dive into for spoiler reasons. But it opens avenues to nitpick once you move past the novelty of its bloody final act, with an ending that also feels a bit haphazardly cut. 

But those various issues didn’t stop it from being an enjoyable film with a great aesthetic. And the anticipation of Halloween in the movie makes it the perfect October watch. Odd that this is arriving in theaters (for a limited release) during the blistering July heat — and against Barbie and Oppenheimer. But hopefully, it has success in the fall months on a streaming service.