Sting (2024) Movie Review
Paired with tapping into fears of arachnophobia is a young girl trying to deal with her mom having a new baby and her stepdad trying to fill in the spot her biological dad abandoned.
[Unless Said Otherwise] Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Plot Summary
Charlotte, an odd tween living in Brooklyn, discovers a spider. We see it come from outer space, but to her, it is a random one that can mimic sounds, so she makes it a pet. One that she has no problems feeding the many roaches that infest the building her grandmother Helga, and Helga’s sister, Gunter own and Charlotte’s step-dad, is the building supervisor of.
But Charlotte never expected this spider, no bigger than her fingertip, to grow and grow, eventually wanting far more than a handful of roaches.
Character Guide
| Character’s Name | Actor’s Name |
| Charlotte | Alyla Browne |
| Helga | Noni Hazlehurst |
| Gunter | Robyn Nevin |
| Ethan | Ryan Corr |
| Heather | Penelope Mitchell |
Character Description(s)
Charlotte
Charlotte, an artist and comic book writer, lives and plays in an old apartment building owned by her grandmother or her grandmother’s sister. Her activities include traversing the building through the vents, figuring out her place in her new blended family, and creating ideas for new comic panels.
- The actor is also known for their role in “The Secret Kingdom.”
Helga
Helga is Heather’s mother. She has memory issues that cause her to often forget who people are and what she is doing, and it creates comical moments.
Gunter
Gunter is Helga’s sister and the owner of the building, who is known for being cheap, rude, and cold.
Ethan
Ethan is the building supervisor for now. When he isn’t fixing sinks or the boiler, he is trying to work on the comic Charlotte created, for which he does the art.
- The actor is also known for their role in “House of the Dragon: Season 1/ Episode 6 ‘The Princess and the Queen.’”
Heather
Heather is Charlotte’s mom, who recently had a second child and is back to work, trying to deal with her mother’s mental decline and her aunt’s attitude. All while dealing with Ethan trying to build a connection with Charlotte, navigating her daughter thinking her father is in Thailand, and Charlotte being difficult just because she can.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Look Away.”
Review
Good If You Like
- Horror movies featuring popular fears
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Highlights
Charlotte Felt Like An Authentic Weird Kid
Weird kids in horror movies are expected as much as jump scares and things going silent before something happens. But, with kids, they can be very hit or miss. They become like Haley Joel Osment in his childhood horror films or one of the many you almost wish the killer would have gotten first – like Georgie in “IT.”
As for Charlotte, you appreciate her because she is a weird kid in the best way. She draws cool comics, partly because her stepdad is an artist, and she looks up to him and while you can see her potentially being shown as this badass kid, they don’t allow the character to lose her humanity.
Charlotte is still someone who isn’t even a teenager yet, hanging onto the idea her biological father will come back, that her new younger sibling won’t replace her, and maybe her step-dad isn’t exploiting her ideas to make a career for himself.
Separate all the stuff with Charlotte’s pet spider, and you will see an interesting drama here.
Helga and Gunter Were Comical
With Helga and Gunter fitting Eastern European stereotypes, they play comic relief throughout the film. Helga is a kind, barely English-speaking woman who is slightly silly and lovable. Gunter? She is the cold European woman whose kindness is shown out of obligation.
But, despite Gunter being touted as a cheap slum lord, there are moments when she interacts with her sister Helga, drunk, or even with Charlotte, that can make you laugh. Are they funny enough to make this a horror and a comedy? No. However, Gunter and Helga do cause unexpected laughs.
On The Fence
Ethan and Charlotte’s Relationship
The relationship between Ethan and Charlotte is, at times, a bit weird. You can see there is a level of closeness between them, but it’s also a horror movie. So as you watch him tuck her in, have her on his lap, and definitely take advantage of her creativity to boost his career, you are led to wonder if Ethan is being misjudged or if the film is building up to a reveal to make him potentially being killed justified.
It’s one of those things that makes you wonder if the spider will solely eat the bad people in the building who deserve to die.
Heather Was A Bit Of An Afterthought
Heather is Charlotte’s mother, Ethan’s partner, who you know exists, but doesn’t have much in character development. We know Charlotte’s father left her for unknown reasons, that she helps take care of her mother, Helga, and that she is employed in the kind of job that allows her to work from home.
But, as much as you can see Charlotte has a whole story that could exist without the horror element, Heather’s existence seemingly is only to boost Charlotte and barely be seen as a individual.
Background Information
| Film Length | 1 Hour 31 Minutes |
| Date Released | April 12, 2024 |
| Where To Watch | In Theaters |
| Director(s) | Kiah Roache-Turner |
| Writer(s) | Kiah Roache-Turner |
| Based On Work By | N/A |
| Genre(s) | Horror |
| Content Rating | Rated R |
Content Information
- Dialog: Cursing
- Violence: Violence Against Animals, Dismemberment, Blood
- Sexual Content: None
- Miscellaneous: Depiction of Corpses, Body Horror, Drinking
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