A thriller that tells the true story of a cruel serial killer was released in cinemas in January 2023. But that’s not all, because director Ali Abbasi goes further and focuses on a society which celebrates the murderer for his actions. You can stream Holy Spider on Amazon Prime Video.
Holy Spider on Amazon: Unbelievable series of murders from Iran
In the early 2000s, a gruesome series of murders took place in Iran’s holy city of Mashhad in which the so-called Spider Killer targeted prostitutes. The journalist Rahimi (Zar Amir-Ebrahimi) follows a lead and comes across the father of the family Saeed (Mehdi Bajestani). The support from parts of the population is just as cruel as the acts themselves. They show no sympathy for the victims; on the contrary, they welcome the serial killer’s “divine mission.”
Holy Spider is anything but light fare. The true background is difficult to digest. Saeed Hanaei is responsible for at least 16 murders and they are depicted in the film with ruthless scenes of violence. Holy Spider divided the audience with its drastic depictions, but there was still a minute-long standing ovation at the premiere in Cannes 2023.
Holy Spider is an extremely dark serial killer thriller that is difficult to stomach
We also know from Ted Bundy that a broad mass of the population demands the release of a murderer, despite all the evidence. The serial killer quickly gained a fan base, primarily because of his charm and attractive appearance. Extremely conservative Iranians sympathized with Saeed Hanaei and viewed his victims as worthless and impure.
Director Abbasi exposes the misogynistic structures in Holy Spider and also admits it with his thriller clear and important political statement away. The heart of the film is Rahimi, who takes over the stagnating police investigation and whose silent pain is palpable, according to the film review from Cannes. “Holy Spider is dark, brutal and difficult to endure. But it’s worth it.”
Stream or TV: When is the real serial killer thriller Holy Spider running?
Arte showed the shocking thriller on November 18th at 10:10 p.m. The repeat runs on the night of November 26th at 1:20 a.m. If you missed Holy Spider on TV, you can buy or rent it on Amazon Prime Video.
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