Old good spider horror - Infested
Hello horror fans!
It’s been a while since I last saw a good spider horror movie. Even longer since I saw one where spiders were the main antagonists. The last film I watched in this subgenre was Earth vs The Spider (2001), a dark parody of Spider-Man that explores what might happen if Peter Parker couldn’t overcome the mutations in his body. It was a pretty cool film with a sad ending.
A few days ago, I stumbled upon an interesting poster for a new French horror film called Infested. I must admit, I don’t know many great European horror films, but the movie’s trailer caught my attention. Let's dive in and discuss whether Infested is worth your time or not.
What You Gonna Do When the Little Spider Comes for You, Brother?
The setup for the film is straightforward. We have our main character, Kaleb, who isn’t particularly successful or wealthy. He seems like he’s from a rough neighborhood but lives in a unique house shaped like a car wheel. He has a sister, a few friends, and a big dream to make money, finish renovating his apartment, and set up his own terrarium. His room is filled with exotic insects and reptiles, which is creepy to me but seems to satisfy him, even though it's illegal. One day, he makes a good deal and buys an exotic spider from a desert country. In the beginning of the movie, we see how these spiders are captured, costing a life in the process.
Infested - Spiders make nest inside human victim.
The spider is delivered to his home and temporarily kept in a shoebox. Kaleb leaves to hang out with his friends while the creepy spider finds a way to escape and builds a cocoon. From this point, the action begins. This is no ordinary spider; it’s a special, aggressive species that grows dramatically during its breeding period. In a short time, the spiders take over the entire ventilation system and start to multiply. They sneak into different apartments, rapidly attacking their victims with poisonous stings and then laying eggs inside the still-living people. It's nasty and creepy.
Kaleb and his friends slowly realize that the escaped spider has infected the entire 15-story building. If they don’t escape immediately, they'll be trapped and likely die. Most residents are either dead or trying to isolate themselves in their apartments. The only way to freedom is through a long corridor, but it’s infested with spiders crawling on the ceiling and constructing massive cobwebs. The group discovers that the spiders don’t like light and become stunned when exposed to it. Kaleb’s sister stays behind to hold the light switch while the rest try to reach the end of the corridor. It’s a tense scene, but they manage to get through without major incidents. The sister then has to make her way across. I thought she wouldn’t make it, but she did, although the last two steps were tricky when the light went off and the spiders became more active. By then, the spiders had grown to the size of kittens.
Infested - Grown up spider species.
The risky operation turns out to be useless because the whole building is under quarantine due to the spider infestation. The police refuse to open the door, so the group tries to reach the 15th floor to signal the neighboring buildings. I have no idea how this would help, but it’s better than doing nothing. The spiders continue their evolution, growing to gigantic sizes. The group loses one of their members, but using flashlights and long legs, they manage to reach the top floor. The door is locked, but the police open it and attempt to evacuate Kaleb and his friends.
In the ensuing chaos, the young people are arrested but at least taken out of the building to an underground parking lot. A police officer tries to explain that the government isn’t the bad guy here; they just have no idea what they’re dealing with and don’t have effective weapons to eliminate the threat. Kaleb refuses to listen, and his friend decides to be a hero. His plan is simple: create a distraction by breaking down the door to the quarantine zone, allowing his friends to escape. He manages to do it, but we never see him again. In a few seconds of grim silence, hundreds of spiders burst into the parking lot. The SWAT team tries to shoot them down, but the large spiders, accompanied by smaller ones, work together effectively, killing the police. The young people manage to get into a car and even open the door. For some reason, one big spider, larger than a common dog, decides not to bother them and jumps away after the car lights turn off.
Infested - Kaleb overcome his fear of spiders.
Outside, in the sunlight, the heroes successfully escape. The government takes control of the situation and prevents the infection from spreading further by blowing up the cursed apartment building. The closing scene shows Kaleb in the woods, burying his friend's photo, and then grabbing a random spider from a nearby log.
Weak and Strong Spots with My General Opinion
Well, in general, I’d say you might want to give this movie a try. It gets to the action scenes quickly, the characters aren’t very annoying, and most of their actions aren’t supernaturally stupid. Of course, I have some questions. For instance, why did Kaleb's friend decide to smash the door in the underground parking? The cops saved them, so there was no clear reason to introduce spiders into the safety area. I think his actions could have gotten his friends killed rather than saving them.
Also, when Kaleb opens the gates to let him and his sister escape the building, what about the spiders? That door was the last thing holding them inside. It’s a miracle that none of the insects escaped. Maybe it was because of the sunlight or perhaps they just wanted to protect their nest inside the building. I have no idea.
Infested - Spiders taking over underground parking.
The only character I really wanted to kill myself was the apartment director. This idiot thought every resident in the building was a drug dealer. Fortunately, his obsession led him to a closed box where a spider cocoon was hidden, and the little spiders bit him to death.
One more thing that frustrated me a bit: in these kinds of films, the killing scenes and close-ups of the spiders are crucial. Unfortunately, the filmmakers either didn't have enough money or experience. Every killing scene is cut off a second before the actual kill moment, and most of the spiders are shown in the background. I understand why they did this, but it still leaves me feeling a bit disappointed.
Infested - Everything started from a small purchase.
Overall, the film is okay, and “okay” is the best word to describe my feelings. It’s not too long, the plot is simple, the spiders look pretty nasty in some scenes, and the action takes place in a semi-closed building, making the situation even more tense. For one viewing with your friends, this film is alright. I can’t imagine watching it a second time, though.
That’s all for today. I hope this short review helps you decide whether or not to give this movie a shot. See you soon!
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