Out this weekend in Irish cinemas is Sting. This creepy crawly horror follows the tenants of an apartment building as they are beset upon by an intergalactic spider. To compound on top of this, this alien arachnid is insidiously smart and the size of a large dog.
Never say I don’t suffer for my art ladies and gentlemen. As a proud arachnophobic I went into this film genuinely worried. My only hope was that it would have terrible CGI or maybe the kills wouldn’t be too grotesque. Unfortunately, it did not. With a mixture of CGI and practical effects Sting, as the spider is affectionately dubbed, is a nightmare to behold and that’s before she grows to the size of a monstrous mongrel.
To offset this terrifying tarantula, Sting has a surprisingly engaging plot. There is a fragile family at the centre of this story. Ethan (Ryan Corr) is a stepfather trying to affirm that connection with his stepdaughter Charlotte ((Alyla Brown) while also building a family with her mother and their baby son. The back and forth within the family is compelling, sold by the acting from the ensemble cast. Young Charlotte is an interesting character, clearly savvy and full of attitude but it comes from an understandable place. She’s worried about losing her family and finds a strange companion in Sting, not realizing the insidious nature of the creature until it is too late.
There are also other characters dotted around the building and with the writing and acting, you worry when they fall into Sting’s web. On the element of horror, Sting is a pretty impressive one. Now, I am biased in the sense that I was squirming throughout most of the film due to the arachnophobia. I actually at one point screamed when Sting crept up on one of her victims. It was a jump scare, it was predictable but it was well-placed and well-executed. There are also several gory scenes. One particular kill involves Sting finding her way into a victim.
Sting is a fun film, even with its interesting characters and horror elements, there is a predictability to the film which is a shame. Also, some amateurish plot elements make the third act, a little too clean. Thankfully it is still an engaging and thrilling horror film built off of an compelling emotional foundation.
Sting is in Irish cinemas now and is definitely something to watch this Bank Holiday weekend. Stay tuned to Scannain for more new, reviews and interviews.