Incoming Netflix sci-fi thriller Spiderhead wasn’t generating massive amounts of buzz up until very recently, and it’s all thanks to director Joseph Kosinski’s other glossy 2022 blockbuster.
While the Tron: Legacy and Oblivion filmmaker’s work has always been characterized by sumptuous visuals, he phenomenally blended his stylistic sensibilities with an engaging narrative to deliver the awe-inspiring Top Gun: Maverick, which has been smashing box office records and winning rave reviews on its way to becoming an early awards season contender.
By extension, that’s increased the pressure and expectation on the streaming exclusive, which hits Netflix this coming Friday. Based on the first wave of reactions, though, it looks as though Kosinski’s incredible year is set to continue.
The plot follows Miles Teller and Jurnee Smollett’s inmates, who find themselves offered the chance to have their sentences shortened if they agree to participate in the trial for an experimental drug that possesses the ability to manipulate their feelings and generate emotions, all overseen by Chris Hemsworth’s charming and disarming visionary Steve Abnesti.
Based on the opening batch of responses, Spiderhead has plenty of big ideas to along with the bombast we’ve come to expect from both Kosinski and Netflix’s big budget original films, so it would be safe to assume that subscribers will be checking out the dystopian tale in their droves next weekend.
Thanks to the effects of the pandemic, Kosinski’s latest two features arrive within weeks of each other despite shooting almost two and a half years apart, but at least it keeps his name at the forefront of the conversation for that little while longer.