Film Review – Sting (2024)

There’s something about spiders. Just about everybody knows somebody who’s afraid of them, regardless of size, shape or hairiness, so you’d think they’d have creature horror movies sewn up. And, yes, there’s been Arachnophobia (1990) and Eight Legged Freaks (2002). But, aside from that? Maybe there’s a case for audiences not rocking up for films that will trigger their worst phobia. And maybe that’s why Sting isn’t quite the nerve-jangler it appears to be.

On a stormy, wintry New York night, an object falls from the sky and smashes through an apartment window. One of the residents, 12 year old Charlotte (Furiosa’s Alyla Browne), discovers it’s an egg containing a strange little spider and, with her parents fully occupied by the family’s new arrival, she keeps it as a secret pet and names it Sting. It proves to be intelligent and, as the girl’s fascination with it increases, so does its appetite. It’s insatiable and, after a series of grisly incidents, Charlotte, her family and everybody else in the building realise they’re being hunted by a super-sized spider with bloody tastes.

Director Kiah Roache-Turner sets out his stall from the first moment, drawing heavily on familiar sci fi and horror tropes and characters. It doesn’t take too hard a look at the storyline to realise that it’s essentially Alien in a domestic setting – the confined spaces, characters picked off one by one, the monster that grows. And, in case we haven’t got the hint, the moment when Charlotte comes face to face with the fully grown Sting, goo dripping from its fangs, seals the deal. But lurking in the shadows is the influence of another ravenous monster. Audrey II from Little Shop Of Horrors, which also had a taste for human flesh and blood. Admittedly, Sting asks for food in a different way to “feed me!”, but watch the film and you’ll see where we’re coming from.

Disappointingly, it’s a side of the film that’s never fully developed, but it does deliver an enjoyably ridiculous style of comedy, one redolent of B-movies and which energetically plays with horror tropes and conventions. And that includes the gore. Yet, strangely, it shies away from being a full-on comedy horror, sticking instead to playing it straight with the plot when there are clearly more laughs to be had. The cast, though, do a great job: Browne, in particular, holds the film together with a strong emotive performance as Charlotte. What Sting does well, it does really, really well. There’s the occasional jump-scare and enough comedy to make it engaging fun. If only the directorial cobwebs didn’t hold it back.

★★★

In UK cinemas from 31 May / Alyla Browne, Penelope Mitchell, Ryan Corr, Jermaine Fowler / Dir: Kiah Roache-Turner / StudioCanal / 15

About the Author

Freda Cooper

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Freda is a Senior Writer at The People's Movies. A lifelong movie fan and a film critic for over ten years, Freda’s natural habitat is the darkened rooms frequented by fellow cineastes. She can also be found asking questions of some of the biggest names in the business – from Cate Blanchett to Daniel Craig or Mike Leigh to Pete Docter – or crafting reviews for a number of sites and publications, including The People’s Movies. And listeners to BBC Local Radio can catch her views on the latest releases. She always – and probably always will – cite The Third Man as her favourite film of all time. Her top ten? That’s a moveable feast …..

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