Thriller, Drama, Crime  •  2022  •  118 min

Holy Spider (2022)

Holy Spider poster

Holy Spider (2022)


Rating & Dimensions

Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Progressive
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
Family Values: Strongly Progressive
Islam: Negative

Viewer Rating
7.3

Overview

A journalist descends into the dark underbelly of the Iranian holy city of Mashhad as she investigates the serial killings of sex workers by the so called "Spider Killer", who believes he is cleansing the streets of sinners.


Starring Cast

Zar Amir Ebrahimi  •   Diana Al Hussen  •   Soraya Helli


Where to watch

Apple TV logoApple TV
Fandango
Prime Video logoPrime Video
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Detailed Bias Analysis

Analyzing...
Progressive

Primary

Political: Strong Left
Confidence: High

The film explicitly critiques systemic misogyny and religious extremism within a patriarchal society, exposing institutional failures and the oppression of marginalized women. Its narrative highlights how a society's moral fabric can be corrupted by extremist interpretations of religion and power.

Diversity: High
Confidence: High

The film features a cast that authentically reflects its Iranian setting. Its narrative critically examines traditional male identities and societal structures, focusing on themes of misogyny and the systemic vulnerability of women.

Secondary

Family Values: Strongly Progressive
Confidence: High

The film portrays a seemingly traditional family unit where patriarchal authority and religious justifications are twisted to enable extreme violence. It critiques how rigid societal norms and gender roles can foster hypocrisy and injustice within the family structure.

Islam: Negative
Confidence: High

The film portrays how religious zealotry is twisted to justify serial murder, and how societal and institutional structures, influenced by certain religious interpretations, can enable such violence and fail to protect victims. The narrative critically exposes the hypocrisy and misogyny embedded within specific religious and cultural contexts, offering no significant counterbalancing positive portrayal of the religion's institutional or societal impact within the film's setting.

LGBTQ: N/A
Confidence: High

Holy Spider does not feature identifiable LGBTQ+ characters or themes. The film centers on a female journalist investigating a serial killer targeting sex workers in Iran, exploring themes of misogyny, societal hypocrisy, and the systemic vulnerability of women. The narrative does not include any explicit LGBTQ+ storylines or character arcs.

Trans: N/A
Confidence: High

The film Holy Spider does not feature identifiable transsexual characters or themes within its narrative. The story centers on a journalist investigating a serial killer who targets female sex workers in Mashhad, Iran, with no elements related to transgender identity present in the plot or character arcs.

Female Combat: N/R

The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.

Gender Swap: No
Confidence: High

The film "Holy Spider" depicts real-life serial killer Saeed Hanaei as male, consistent with historical accounts. The female journalist protagonist, Rahimi, is an original character created for the film, not a gender-swapped figure from prior canon or history. No established characters or historical figures undergo a gender swap.

Race Swap: No
Confidence: High

Holy Spider is a crime thriller based on real events in Iran. The film's characters are consistent with the historical and geographical context. No instances occur where a character, previously established as one race in source material or history, is portrayed as a different race.


Viewer Rating Breakdown

7.3

Viewer Rating

Combines user and critic ratings from four sources

User Ratings

IMDB logo
7.3
The Movie Database logo
7.3

Critic Ratings

Rotten Tomatoes logo
8.2
Metacritic logo
6.6

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