The horror genre has championed new filmmakers and writers for decades now. Some of them have been a flash in the pan and others have gone on too because men and women horror fans and film fans in general have come to embrace. Josh Bodin, the director, and Chris Thomas Devlin, the writer,  the ones behind Cobweb, their latest horror film, are ones people are going to remember in the future. 

Peter (Woody Norman, C’mon C’mon) is a shy and reclusive little boy. He gets picked on a lot at school. His parents are very protective of him. When he starts hearing a voice coming from the walls of his bedroom he starts to get curious. His curiosity leads him to do things he wouldn’t otherwise do. What was hiding in the walls was something unimaginable but it may not be all bad for him, but for others.

The filmmakers use a lot of popular horror tropes in this film but they use them in unconventional ways which makes this film better than the average run-of-the-mill horror film. Noises coming from the walls, creepy people, knocking, and bad dreams all add up to quite a treat for horror fans. Add in a monster and you have a Halloween-based horror film people will remember for some time. 

A lot of horror films have what is called the final girl but in this case, the final girl is a substitute teacher Ms. Devine (Cleopatra Colman) who helps Norman’s character out. She is the typical heroine character in these kinds of movies. Colman who’s been in Infinity Poll the last David Cronenberg film knows her way around this material and is right at home in this role. Add in television veterans Lizzy Caplin (Fatal Attraction) and Anthony Starr (The Boys) and you have a small but solid cast.

Part of what makes this film work so well as a trick-or-treat horror film is the voice (Ellen Dublin, Jesse Vilinsky) and monster played by Alexandra Dragova.  All of these women add their own touches to make this character very mysterious but also creepy and scary at times. The monster is a key element to the film and the mystery behind it is part of why it works so well. I like when a good reveal is added and all of the scares add up to make something worthwhile in the end.

Woody Norman made a name for himself as The kid in C’mon C’mon opposite Joaquin Phoenix. He is a bit rambunctious in that film but he’s more reserved in this one. He goes to a different place as this little boy who doesn’t know what to believe. He’s more quiet and somber but when the flights start happening and things start to get weird he comes to life as an actor. He has shown a lot of range in the two films I’ve seen him in and I’m sure he will get plenty of work in the years to come. I’m looking forward to seeing more of him.

Cobweb takes a lot of things we’ve seen in horror films from the past and mashes them all together to make a solid debut film for Bodin and a second film for Thomas Devlin. The cast, especially Colman and Norman, give very good performances as substitute teacher and student.  The people who voice and play the monster are very effective in getting their point across in the movie. They are creepy and scary once revealed.  This movie was a pleasant surprise this summer but it may hit closer to home come Halloween later this year. People should seek it out one way or another.

3 ½ stars

Dan Skip Allen