From Jeff Nelson

From Arachnophobia to Eight Legged Freaks, the killer spider movie taps into a common human fear, often adding outlandish dark comedy to the unnerving, hair-raising fear of one actively crawling on you. Kiah Roache-Turner’s Sting plays to this intersection of terror and humor in his own spider-slasher flick, which never pushes itself far enough in either regard, leaving the film in an awkward middle ground with little impact.

The pointedly-named Charlotte (Alyla Browne) is a 12-year-old girl with a fascination for spiders. She lives with her mother, Heather (Penelope Mitchell), stepdad, Ethan (Ryan Corr), and baby brother in a rundown apartment. Charlotte takes in a mysterious, spider-like creature that lands in the complex, naming her new pet Sting. However, it rapidly grows into a flesh-eating monster determined to consume all life it encounters.

Sting emerges from an alien-like egg, growing rapidly over a very short period of time. It persistently seeks larger prey, combining particularly fearsome force with a spider’s hunting tactics. We’re treated to one excitingly gruesome death, while the majority of the other casualties remain off-screen. The body count is surprisingly low, pushing the arachnid’s carnage to the back burner.

Roache-Turner’s screenplay casts the spotlight on Charlotte’s woes, where she holds out hope for the return of her absent biological father. She struggles to connect with Ethan, who is barely holding his life together between caring for his new family, chasing his artistic dreams, and working as the underappreciated building manager. Sting spends a large portion of its 91-minute runtime navigating the familial melodramatics, which don’t have any emotional payoff, nor is it used for comedic effect. Charlotte is reaching her edgy teen years, humorously appearing and disappearing from the frame. Ethan’s attempts to relate with her offer hints of tenderness, although these moments don’t reflect in the character arcs.

Sting’s growth mirrors Charlotte’s emotional journey in many ways, inevitably pitting the two against one another over the fate of her new family. Her confrontations with the titular antagonist offer some momentary tension, but several repeated setups grow tired. The spider itself looks great when leveraging practical effects, even the general lack of scares diminishes its potential. 

Whether you’re looking for a spider movie to make your skin crawl or a self-aware one for the laughs, Sting isn’t it. The simple premise lends itself to a gleeful cheese fest that it never entirely leans into. There isn’t much separating it from a SYFY original movie with a bigger budget, although it lacks confidence in its own craziness.

Rating: 2/5

Sting hits theaters on April 12th, 2024.

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