Opens Wide in North American Theaters on April 12th.
I’m glad that monster movies seem to be making more and more of a comeback in the last few years, and among them are director Kiah Roache-Turner’s “Sting.” Roache-Turner is an individual that’s delivered on very gritty, grindhouse flavored zombie films over the years (Any other “Wyrmwood” fans in the house?), and “Sting” is a big departure from what he typically offers the horror crowd. That’s a great thing because he proves that he can do more simplistic, stripped down and classic movie fare. “Sting” has a different aesthetic, one that’s darker, and more human based and relies a lot on the human characters to deliver on spooks and gruesome gore.
With the help of excellent work by Weta Workshop’s Richard Taylor, “Sting” feels a lot like a movie taken out of the eighties. Our main character Charlotte is a young girl struggling to find her place in her small ecosystem and is faced with a lot of difficulties involving the adults in her life. Her mother is a bit of a workaholic committed to taking care of her new little brother, her father is MIA from her life, and her stepdad Ethan is a struggling comic book artist desperate to make a success. To make things worse, they live under the rule of Helga, Ethan’s nasty aunt who makes their lives miserable. Along the way, Charlotte finds a mysterious eggs that births a small spider that Charlotte lovingly names “Sting.”
Soon “Sting” begins to row larger and relentlessly hunts the tenants in Charlotte’s small New York tenement, intent on breeding. “Sting” is a delightfully creepy, and gross movie, but it excels mainly in the human sub-plots. I was very engaged in the tension within this small family, and I loved the collective performances. Star Ayla Browne is particularly very good as the rebellious Charlotte who takes it upon herself to pursue Sting when it becomes apparent that it’s transformed from a pet in to a voracious apex predator. “Sting” goes in the directions that you’d expect from these movies, as small dogs and parrots are introduced, as well as annoying neighbors that you know will all be canon fodder soon enough.
That thankfully doesn’t hinder the experience, as everything about the film is so tightly composed and absolutely entertaining from start to finish. The simplicity works so much in its favor, allowing for a very involving narrative about real people fighting an extraordinary menace, and I was hooked in from the opening credits. Along with Browne, there are very good turns from Ryan Corr and Jermaine Fowler, all of whom are downright fantastic. I truly hope fans embrace Kiah Roache-Turner’s “Sting” as it’s a fun straight forward classic monster movie.
Before you Watch “Sting,” Be Sure to Check Out These Five Apartment Based Horror Films!