Former superhero and now full-time private eye Ben Reilly has to mask up to break a case in the spectacular Spider-Noir, a gripping and clever twist of the Spider-Man mythos to Depression-era detective stories.
Spider-Noir is delightfully strange. The live-action adaptation of the Spider-Man variant balances a wonderful spider-rope of leaning into the throwback cheesiness of the concept but telling a true noir tale, albeit one with superpowed heroes and villains (and in between). And, oh, Nic Cage running right down that precarious perch as only he can. Now, this Ben Reilly isn’t the same as Cage voices in The Best Superhero Movie of All Time, 2018’s Into the Spider-Verse (seen but not heard in the sequel, returning to Cage in the trilogy caper… eventually), but another variant with a similar background. No matter which version of the multiverse, this Spider-Man (going by The Spider) is an engaging adventure, using its unique setting and setup in spectacular Spider-Man ways.
Spider-noir’s plotting is a wonderfully convoluted, connected, and tangled web of intrigue, double crossing, power-holds and power grabs, twisty history, and, at the heart, taking control of one’s destiny. Amid all the back-and-forth among the characters, Oren Uziel’s showrunning across the 8 episodes (with a variety of writers and directors) proves to have enough tensile strength to hold a whole ball of villains from a lightpost. The character, first seen in 2009 in his own comic series, along with the aforementioned animated films and appearances in games and other TV properties over time, stands on its own as a fascinating exploration of the era, story style, and mystery.
It’s 1930s New York, and Ben Reilly is a tough on his luck private detective. But the good old “take some incriminating photos” (I swear that’s the inciting incident in the majority of noir stories, including my review of Marlowe a few days ago) between nightclub singer Cat Hardy and the troubled-but-up-for-reelection Mayor. This gets him and his staff and friends: Janet the receptionist/researcher, reporter Robbie Robertson, and kid on the street Freddie into the eyes of mobster Silvermane and his cronies, stooges, and molls. Yes, those cronies pull from Spider-Man’s well-known rogues gallery, and as you watch, you’ll say “oh yes, I know that person!” but I’ll let the show present them as they do (of course, I’ve already spoiled Cat Hardy). Along the way, we discover mad science, PTSD of WWI, the Depression, rum running, and more. It’s a lot, but it never feels overdone. No character is a throwaway plot device or “what if we take [Spider-Man villain] and change them into a 30s gangster? Uziel is smart enough to layer in Spider-Man lore but never elbow with crass references just for fan service. It all fits and serves the story.
Seriously, everyone here is astounding, perfectly cast, and perfectly performed. Nic Cage leads the fully committed cast, running with their complicated and well-written characters. Cage takes it all perfectly, using his eccentricity and tics to the highest advantage. Like his voicing the character 8 years ago, he relishes the vocal inflections, but with the addition of a physical performance, he brings it completely home. Damn if I didn’t love Karen Rodriguez as his sassy right-hand-woman, Janet; she might be the real star of the show. Watching so much New Girl lately, it’s fun to see Lamorne Morris as writer Robbie Robertson (he also appeared in a SIFF short this year). Double points for fast-talking newsie Cary Christopher, seen last year as Alex in Weapons. Kid’s a hoot. Much love to Amy Aquinto as the doctor and our favorite Deep Space 9 fashion terrorist Cardassian (and hapless Hellraiser dad) Andrew Robinson! Brendan Gleeson’s Silvermane is a layered villain, and he’s perfect. Li Jun Li, earlier seen in the underseen Exorcist show and everyone’s seen it Sinners, is astounding as Cat Hardy. Our three main heavies, Jack Huston, Abraham Popoola, and Andrew Lewis Caldwell, all fulfill, with Caldwell especially having fun. Cool to see Lucas Haas, too.
Everyone leans into the over-the-top noir-speech pastiche, speaking big and to the back row of the proverbial theatre, with accents and affectations of a heightened reality where everyone pulls from Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart of some sordid mix. In a lesser production, this could be distracting, but for Spider-Noir, it works, establishing an off-kilter world of stylized dialogue and look. Spider-Noir commits to its bit and commits hard. But it doesn’t leave it at “well, look, it’s Spider-Man in a stylized setting!”
Speaking of stylized, much ballhoo is given to the series shot for both more noir-ish black and white and oversaturated color, replicating comic books. While I originally switched back and forth, I ultimately stuck with the black-and-white. It gave the show a better atmosphere than the color, digging into the deep darks and shadows. Ultimately, B/W was utilized better. Outside of the color use (no matter your choice), the production design is astonishing. From costuming to set design (watching the light stream through Art Deco windows is magnificent), it’s a delight in detail. It’s worth watching through twice in either option to catch it all.
Showrun by Oren Orziel, Spider-Noir is a fantastic web-slinging series, using its unique style and storytelling for the best effect. With a dynamic cast led by Nic Cage, it’s a triumph of property adaptation, finding new ways to explore a well-worn Spider-Man mythos, without ever feeling like a gimmick. The full series is currently streaming on Amazon Prime and MGM+. I recommend watching in Black and White.