Any film that prominently uses Thomas Dolby’s new wave masterpiece “She Blinded Me with Science” is automatically going to be considered worthwhile, even if the general consensus behind it is that it represents the kind of misguided attempt at an intelligent blockbuster that we often see coming in the wake of major franchises and their stranglehold over the industry – and for this reason, we find Spiderhead to be a film that is unfairly maligned, seen as the kind of unconvincing thriller that never really amounts to anything, when in reality it is simmering with intensity. Directed by Joseph Kosinski (who is currently ascending to the position as one of the most sought-after directors in the business based on his recent output), and based on the short story “Escape from Spiderhead” by the brilliant George Saunders, the film is a maniacal, deeply disturbing work of speculative fiction that goes in many unexpected directions, while maintaining a consistently absurd tone that is far more disturbing than a lot of the more grotesque imagery the director peppers throughout the film. A disquieting but incredibly poignant work that unleashes a deranged series of concepts onto the unsuspecting viewer (many of whom are likely expecting a well-crafted and logical thriller, rather than the plethora of harrowing images and ideas that make up the film), Spiderhead is a stunning film, in both meanings of the word, proving to be a well-made psychological thriller with striking visual panache and a range of compelling ideas, but also a dark side, one that resides in a deeply disturbing recess of the human condition, which is explored throughout this harrowing but unquestionably entertaining film.

The first mistake many of us make with Spiderhead is expecting it to be something that it is not – on the surface, it seems like a run-of-the-mill science fiction drama that follows a logical structure, when in reality it is a subversive blend of psychological thriller and dark comedy, which will be familiar to anyone who has engaged with Saunders’ work in the past, but almost incomprehensible to those who are just being introduced to his wonderfully bizarre world of postmodernism. It is heavily influenced by the work of previous authors who set the foundation for science fiction, acting as a perfect blend of George Orwell’s dystopian horror and Douglas Adams’ upbeat irreverence – and considering Saunders himself has evolved into one of the great experimental writers of his generation, its hardly a mistake that an adaptation of his work would feature some of the more unsettling and provocative depictions of our world. This is especially true in relation to how the science fiction genre often tends toward viewing the future as an unearthly wasteland where the greed of capitalism and the lack of order has resulted in a terrifying depiction of a world that has lost control. All of this is important to keep in mind when venturing into this film – there isn’t going to be a very clear resolution (as much as the editing and marketing of the film tried its best to make it seem like a more traditional action thriller), and a lot of the material is designed to be intentionally provocative and difficult to digest – this is the mastery that comes with telling a story like the one at the heart of Spiderhead, which uses its story as a starting point for one of the more disturbing examinations of human greed and corruption we’ve seen in years, and one that is obviously going to be divisive, but in the way that any great work of speculative fiction should strive to be, which is exactly what we find embedded beneath the surface of this film.

At a cursory glance, the presence of Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller as the leads of the film may mislead you into an even more committed belief that Spiderhead is a more conventional film. Not without their talents, neither actor is particularly known for doing the most challenging work, and often are cast when traditional stars are required for an attempted tentpole, having around a dozen franchises shared between them. However, if there was ever an example of how they could be genuinely brilliant should the opportunity call for it, it would be this film, which sees both of them doing remarkable work. Teller is at his most likeable, abandoning the bizarre techniques that previously made him such a divisive actor, and seemingly growing to understand that a great performance doesn’t need to be filled to the brim with tics, and that it can legitimately be interesting without the need to go over-the-top, and that a perfectly straightforward execution is more than sufficient. The majority of the excess comes from Hemsworth, who has mastered the art of using his hulking physicality as a tool of both intimidation and comedy, which is perfectly defined by this film – he’s a fantastic villain, with his smarmy, condescending performance as the pharmaceutical tycoon who borders on sadistic being absolutely brilliant work from an actor whose careful commitment to his role is sadly not often acknowledged, especially when he has put in a decent amount of work to show that he has range. Spiderhead features really solid work from both actors, and they deserve to be seen as much more versatile than their reputations would suggest, since the entire film is built on their performances, every bit of commentary being filtered through their excellent work in constructing these characters by engaging with the source material.

It’s highly unlikely that everyone will agree on this film and precisely what it represents – whether it is acknowledging the central message, or debating how effective it is at conveying certain themes, Spiderhead lends itself to divisive reactions, which is precisely what should be expected from such a challenging film. Getting a grasp on what it aims to say is not an obstacle, but rather part of the experience – how else can you explain the presence of so many strange ideas in as small and compact a space as we see throughout this film? Whether as a brutally scathing indictment on the pharmaceutical industry, or as a deeply disturbing commentary on the lengths to which institutions (whether those in the public or private sector) will go to control the masses, Spiderhead evokes many complex conversations, perhaps too many to fully explore in the relatively paltry 100 minutes that we spend with this film, since it could have legitimately justified being slightly longer, just to allow us to marinade in these complex ideas for slightly longer. What does become clear from the very first moments is that this is not going to be a traditional film in any conceivable way – where most will view these themes as simply didactic reflections of the current state of the world, others will look at it as a terrifying call-to-arms for a society growing hostile towards corporations their ability to control the masses, and like any great satire, it conveys this message through carefully-curated scenarios, in which the terror and humour are detached enough from reality to allow us to enjoy it as a science fiction film, but not too far-fetched that any of its ideas are in any way implausible or unnecessarily convoluted. After a while, we start to find the speculative aspect of Spiderhead eroding, with the gradually encroaching sense of foreboding danger starting to take over, leaving us utterly exhilarated and in a state of complete psychological exhaustion – its the same response Orwell sought with those chilling final words in Nineteen Eighty-Four, and while this film is far from as effective, it does evoke similar sensations, which it uses to its advantage.

Spiderhead was not destined to become a wildly successful populist film, since anyone who has read Saunders will know that his work does not pander to widespread, mainstream tastes. Instead, I have a sneaking suspicion that this has the potential to be a great cult film, a bizarre and brooding dark comedy that is not criticized for failing to deliver on its ambitious premise, but celebrated for its unhinged energy and ability to create a series of truly nightmarish scenarios, which become increasingly more challenging as the film progresses and we start to see its underlying commentary, which becomes more compelling the further we allow ourselves to become engrossed by this film. There’s a sinister tone that sharply contrasts with the sometimes surreal comedy, which suggests that exploring the world of this film is a much more effective if we engage with the material, rather than simply passively observing it – and while he is steadily growing in the estimation of audiences and the industry based on his helming of a particular blockbuster, we should hope that Kosinski continues to carve out a niche for himself as the director of more complex, experimental works, rather than simply mainstream fare that may benefit from his clear talents, but at the expense of more interesting work, which is the case with a film like this. Spiderhead is a film with an abundance of potential and a never-ending supply of darkly satirical humour, and while some of these ideas may have been more effective had there been additional time to expand on their ideas, it’s foolish to think that this is anything less than a masterful, expressive dark comedy that knows exactly how to command certain ideas, and leave the audience in a state of existential despair, which is often the most enthralling experience when it comes to questioning the past, present and future of our world.