October is winding down, and Huluween is in full swing on Hulu. Halloween just over a week away, and Hulu has the streaming premiere of Cobweb, 2023’s most underrated horror movie of the year.
The film was directed by Samuel Bodin from a script by Chris Thomas Devlin. Lizzy Caplan (Cloverfield) and Antony Starr (The Boys) are the most recognizable members of the cast, but the movie largely belongs to Woody Norman, who plays their on-screen son, Peter. It’s through Peter’s eyes that the audience realizes that something is very off with his parents, Carol (Caplan) and Mark (Starr) — and that there’s something very strange happening in Peter’s house.
We are going to avoid giving away the major twists and turns in Cobweb, because those deserve to be experienced firsthand. But that won’t stop us from sharing three reasons why you should watch Cobweb on Hulu.
The monster in the walls
There have been plenty of horror movies about creatures living in walls or hauntings that target young children. The early part of Cobweb attempts to convince the viewer that it’s going to be like one of those films. That’s why the movie is so reliant on Norman’s performance as Peter. He’s very convincing in portraying Peter’s terror, confusion, and complete bewilderment when his parents appear to gaslight him about what’s happening in their home.
At some point, you may even be wondering if the monster in the walls is Peter himself, given some dark turns he takes late in the movie. But rest assured, you will get answers about the film’s central mystery.
Liz Caplan’s performance is delightfully creepy
By the end of this film, it’s clear that Caplan has given the best performance as Peter’s mom, Carol. There are several moments in the movie where it’s difficult to get a read on either Carol or her husband, Mark, because they seem so emotionally remote from Peter.
Yet, as the story goes on, it’s Carol who seems to get more and more deranged. Carol cuts through a pumpkin like a Hollywood slasher villain, and she is truly creepy when she serves Peter cupcakes with the least convincing smile that you’ve ever seen. Peter’s actions toward his mother are pretty extreme, but it’s also easy to understand why he feels such distrust of his parents, especially his mom. And you can’t take your eyes off Caplan any time she’s on screen.
It has an audacious third act
If we were to tell you all about the revelations that unfold late in the movie, it would ruin the experience. So to keep spoilers to a minimum, it’s enough to say that Cobweb discovers a new gear in its third act and it becomes an entirely different kind of horror story than it was for the first two-thirds of the movie.
Cobweb takes some wild twists, and shows more than a few of its characters’ unforgivable sins, even those committed by Peter himself. Beyond that, what we can tell you is that it’s absolutely worth watching Cobweb just for the last half-hour alone.
Watch Cobweb on Hulu.
