New Releases: Sting (2024) - Reviewed
Image courtesy of Well Go USASome movies are just there to entertain without feeling the need to make a statement, expose some dark conspiracy or present us with the dangers of say, resurrecting dinosaurs. Sting is one of those unassuming, yet effective horror films that fits nicely into the creature feature giant spider category. A collaboration between Australia and the United States, Stingtakes us on a whimsically disturbing trip to a New York apartment building under attack by an extra-terrestrial specimen that resembles a common spider. Here, rebellious 12-year old Charlotte discovers the spider and instantly relates to it as a friend - for a reason. With her father absent and her mother and stepfather distracted by her baby stepbrother, Charlotte feels isolated without cause. Her stepdad, Ethan is as hardcore into comic books as she is and they do have a special bond, but Charlotte is still in denial about the apathy of her biological father. This dynamic urges Ethan to take special interest in her and her pursuits to show her his devotion. Charlotte (Alyla Browne) keeps her spider a secret and names it Sting, relating to the blade used by Bilbo in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit to kill the spiders. She soon realizes that Sting is not a normal spider. It actually mimics sounds and whistles for food, which only nurtures Charlotte’s naïve admiration for it. It seems to be highly intelligent and she begins to train it, but also notices that her pet spider has an unusual feeding cycle, growingexponentially as its prey gets bigger. What makes Sting an endearing horror film is the interpersonal dynamics between the characters. Ethan, played by Ryan Corr(Wolf Creek 2, The Water Diviner) delivers a stellar performance of a man caught between the stress of his work deadlines, abuse by his in-laws and demands by his wife, all while he is desperately trying to prove his love to his withdrawn stepdaughter. Ultimately, he has to focus on his family when Sting starts out-growing the apartment and starts dropping people, presenting him with the chance to help Charlotte. This is where the film find its substance and where golden web of Stingis spun. Written and directed by Aussie Kiah Roache-Turner(Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead (2014), Wyrmwood: Chronicles of the Dead - Teaser (2017) and Nekrotronic (2018)), Stingexhibits the filmmaker’s love for practical effects over computer generated imagery. A fine choice indeed, considering the instant cock block bad CGI lends most modern horrors, diminishing their redeeming qualities. Besides, the puppeteers do such a good job that Sting comes across as a realistic, dark homage to 80s creature features. The creepy old apartment building looks authentic, but if you pay attention, there are hints that the film set is located in Sydney, Australia. Sting is nightmare fuel for those suffering from arachnophobia, but as far as the scary monster aspect goes, Sting only has its giant size going for it. It genuinely could have transcended the fear factor across the board had the designers created a more frightening countenance for the spider. For all its idiosyncrasies, it sadly looks utterly normal. Fortunately, the direction and expert use of lighting allows the creature to look truly sinister as it scuttles through the building vents and chutes, feeding on unsuspecting residents. Naturally, the film boasts grandiose gore galore as only Kia Roache-Turner can deliver, keeping the audience howling with bloody glee. The dialogue is funny and quick-witted, although the story and plot is predictable. Sting has quirky characters, scary stalking scenes, dark corridors and loud screams, but most of all, it has a little dog called Bonnie that you can’t help but cheer for. It is a great fun watch that will positively make you check your bathroom light just one more time.—Tasha Danzig
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| Image courtesy of Well Go USA |
Some movies are just there to entertain without feeling the need to make a statement, expose some dark conspiracy or present us with the dangers of say, resurrecting dinosaurs. Sting is one of those unassuming, yet effective horror films that fits nicely into the creature feature giant spider category.
A collaboration between Australia and the United States, Stingtakes us on a whimsically disturbing trip to a New York apartment building under attack by an extra-terrestrial specimen that resembles a common spider. Here, rebellious 12-year old Charlotte discovers the spider and instantly relates to it as a friend - for a reason.
With her father absent and her mother and stepfather distracted by her baby stepbrother, Charlotte feels isolated without cause. Her stepdad, Ethan is as hardcore into comic books as she is and they do have a special bond, but Charlotte is still in denial about the apathy of her biological father. This dynamic urges Ethan to take special interest in her and her pursuits to show her his devotion.
Charlotte (Alyla Browne) keeps her spider a secret and names it Sting, relating to the blade used by Bilbo in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit to kill the spiders. She soon realizes that Sting is not a normal spider. It actually mimics sounds and whistles for food, which only nurtures Charlotte’s naïve admiration for it. It seems to be highly intelligent and she begins to train it, but also notices that her pet spider has an unusual feeding cycle, growingexponentially as its prey gets bigger.
What makes Sting an endearing horror film is the interpersonal dynamics between the characters. Ethan, played by Ryan Corr(Wolf Creek 2, The Water Diviner) delivers a stellar performance of a man caught between the stress of his work deadlines, abuse by his in-laws and demands by his wife, all while he is desperately trying to prove his love to his withdrawn stepdaughter. Ultimately, he has to focus on his family when Sting starts out-growing the apartment and starts dropping people, presenting him with the chance to help Charlotte. This is where the film find its substance and where golden web of Stingis spun.
Written and directed by Aussie Kiah Roache-Turner(Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead (2014), Wyrmwood: Chronicles of the Dead - Teaser (2017) and Nekrotronic (2018)), Stingexhibits the filmmaker’s love for practical effects over computer generated imagery. A fine choice indeed, considering the instant cock block bad CGI lends most modern horrors, diminishing their redeeming qualities. Besides, the puppeteers do such a good job that Sting comes across as a realistic, dark homage to 80s creature features. The creepy old apartment building looks authentic, but if you pay attention, there are hints that the film set is located in Sydney, Australia.
Sting is nightmare fuel for those suffering from arachnophobia, but as far as the scary monster aspect goes, Sting only has its giant size going for it. It genuinely could have transcended the fear factor across the board had the designers created a more frightening countenance for the spider. For all its idiosyncrasies, it sadly looks utterly normal.
Fortunately, the direction and expert use of lighting allows the creature to look truly sinister as it scuttles through the building vents and chutes, feeding on unsuspecting residents. Naturally, the film boasts grandiose gore galore as only Kia Roache-Turner can deliver, keeping the audience howling with bloody glee.
The dialogue is funny and quick-witted, although the story and plot is predictable. Sting has quirky characters, scary stalking scenes, dark corridors and loud screams, but most of all, it has a little dog called Bonnie that you can’t help but cheer for. It is a great fun watch that will positively make you check your bathroom light just one more time.
—Tasha Danzig
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