Holy Spider

Holy Spider

Ankabut-e moqaddas

Director – Ali Abbasi

Writers – Ali Abbasi, Afshin Kamran Bahrami, Jonas Wagner

2022,     Denmark-Germany-France-Sweden-Jordan-Italy

Stars – Mehdi Bajestani, Zar Amir-Ebrahimi, Arash Ashtiani

 

There may be expectations of just a serial killer escapade – and it is that too; “based on a true story” for starters – but ‘Holy Spider’s’ true target is the misogyny in Iranian society that inspires, hides, tolerates and uses such murders for religious dogma. The victims are “just” (supposedly) prostitutes being murdered, so these women deserved it and the killer is performing a social, even holy function. This is why the last act is equally as horrifying as the preceding portrayal of Saeed (Mehdi Bajestani), a traditional family man occasionally skipping obligations to the in-laws to kill women.

 

 

 

The kills are full-on, clumsy, upsetting and ugly; derived from ‘The Honeymoon Killers’ and ‘Henry: portrait of a serial killer’ template of elongated murder scenes to favour distress over thrilld. It takes a crusading, defiant female journalist Rahimi (Zar Amir Ebrahimi) to truly tackle the “Holy Spider” murders, and she is perhaps a little idealised, but the more prevalent criticism is that the time spent with the killer humanises him. Catherine Bray writes, “the film spends endless time with Saeed, lingering carefully on his crimes, perhaps in an attempt to immerse us in his perspective, but to what end is unclear.” But that is surely the point: how Saeed can operate as a respected father and member of society and as well as a successful killer in this patriarchal culture. The shocks may be in the first half, and in its strength may mislead  some to thinking this is just about the to-catch-a-killer game, but the deeper horror comes when it’s obvious many in the community see Saeed as carrying out a righteous cause. Additional to this, the corruption of the authorities is in their indifference to pursue the killer, and then to dupe the killer to save face. And arguably it is here that the meaning and the anger of the film takes precedent.

There may be rough edges, but Abbasi’s film is full of righteous rage and horror. Certainly, that last scene disturbed me no end, in what it meant for the individual and said about society. And it has certainly hit a nerve.