Chances are we’ve all heard something go bump in the night. Whether it’s our imagination, restless spirits communicating from the afterlife, or something falling over, hearing something innocuous when you least expect it can send your heart racing. This is doubly true for children. Vivid imaginations can conjure images of boogeymen, giant monsters, or other nightmarish terrors that only exist in our minds. A little reassurance is often all it takes to assuage this fear – but what if it never goes away? What if it turns out to be real?
The latest film from Lionsgate,Cobweb, will answer this question in a terrifying way. As a young boy’s parents repeatedly attempt to downplay the disturbing noises, he finds himself caught between his imagination and a growing distrust of his parents. Is it just anxiety, or is it something more? We’ll have to wait and see. As athriller with an interesting premise, with a prominent cast to boot,Cobwebwill certainly terrify when it hits theaters later in the year. Until then, we’ve compiled just about everything we know aboutCobwebfor your reading pleasure.
Cobweb: The Plot
The official plot synopsis forCobwebprovided by Lionsgate is as follows:
“Eight-year-old Peter is plagued by a mysterious, constant tap, tap from inside his bedroom wall – a tapping that his parents insist is all in his imagination. As Peter’s fear intensifies, he believes that his parents (Lizzy Caplan and Antony Starr) could be hiding a terrible, dangerous secret and questions their trust. And for a child, what could be more frightening than that?”
There’s something inherently scary about being “gaslit” by your own family. Whether it’s the dissolution of trust in familial authority figures or the implication of something truly sinister hiding in the darkness, it’s a feeling you can’t truly feel until you’re faced with it yourself. With a title likeCobweb, the mind immediately creates an image of a flesh-eating spider or some other silly monstrosity hiding in Peter’s wall. Thankfully, we shouldn’t have to worry about such a thing.Samuel Brodin will be directingCobweb, having previously handled the Netflix horror seriesMarianne.Given Brodin’s track record, we’re willing to bet it’ll be something far more terrifying.
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Interestingly, it looks likeCobwebwill double asboth a horror film and a thrillerbased on this premise. While the best of both genres can sometimes fall into either category, the mystery surrounding what exactly is behind Peter’s wall will likely make up a bulk of our film’s conflict. Either way, it’ll be thrilling to see what lies in wait.
Cobweb: The Cast
The family ofCobwebis full of recognizable faces. While you may have to suspend your disbelief a smidgen more than usual, the sheer talent on offer here will more than makeup for it.
Peter, our young protagonist, will be played by none other than Woody Norman. Before his popular performance in the 2021 A24 dramaC’mon, C’mon, Norman has made multiple appearances across a variety of television and film projects. From the Starz miniseriesThe White Princessto BBC’sPoldark, Norman is also slated to appear in the upcoming vampire filmThe Last Voyage of the Demeter.It’ll be interesting to see how he handles a straightforward horror role alongside his “parents,” Antony Starr and Lizzy Caplan.
Caplan will be playing Carol, Peter’s mother. Getting her start on theshort-lived television seriesFreaks and Geeks, she would later rise to prominence inMean GirlsandCloverfieldbefore her outstanding performance in Showtime’sMasters of Sex. The role would even see Caplan nominated for an Emmy. Having led the FX miniseriesFleishman is in Troubleand Netflix’s conspiracy-laden seriesInside Job, she’ll return to the world of horror in a performance that’ll hopefully maintain a similar level of quality.
Related:Lizzy Caplan’s Best Performances, Ranked
Alongside Caplan as Peter’s father, Mark is Antony Starr. As a New-Zealand actor, Starr is likely most recognized forhis performance as Homelanderin Prime Video’sThe Boys. While we won’t see a sadistically patriotic Starr fly around and commit a litany of atrocities, it’s certainly a showcase of how menacing he can be in an antagonistic role. Oftentimes, terror can come from the most subtle of performances.
In addition to our main family, Cleopatra Coleman is also slated to appear inCobweb.In addition to her involvement with multiple Netflix projects, including the upcomingRebel Moonfilm andIn the Shadow of the Moon, she also made an appearance inInfinity Pooland led the four-season television seriesThe Last Man on Earth.
Release Date
Cobwebwill release exclusively in theaters on July 21.
Cobweb: Everything Else
The script forCobwebwas featured on 2018’s “Black List,” a survey of screenplays that have yet to be produced into feature films. In addition to featuring screenplays that led to films likeUnder the Skin,Jojo Rabbit, andBuried, the screenplays featured in 2018 also led to the creation ofPromising Young WomanandKing Richard. In September of that year, the screenplay would be subsequentlyacquired by Lionsgatebefore immediately entering development.
