Daily Movie Rec 2/3/24
Holy Spider (2022)
"I did it all for God. My hands are clean."
Directed by: Ali Abbasi
Cinematography by: Nadim Carlsen
Plot:
In the Iranian holy city of Mashhad, family man Saeed Hanaei spends his nights killing sex workers in the name of cleansing the city's streets of corruption, while journalist Arezoo Rahimi does what she can to bring the devout serial killer and wannabe martyr to justice despite endless systemic challenges - based on the true story of Hanaei, who murdered 16 women between 2000 and 2001.
Reasons to watch:
The subversive Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi (also known for his work directing The Last of Us) earned his first Palme d'Or nomination at the Cannes Film Festival for Holy Spider, which would also see Zar Amir Ebrahimi winning Best Actress at the festival for her dogged performance as the tenacious reporter Arezoo Rahimi. In Holy Spider, Abbasi shines a light on the social systems in Iran that don't just turn a blind eye toward violence against women but seem to encourage it - especially against women deemed as "corrupt" - revealing the existential terror of radical orthodoxy and the religious zealots who genuinely believe that wanton murder can be just in the eyes of God. The killer getting caught would typically be a happy ending in most crime films, but when Hanaei becomes a local celebrity after his arrest, with endorsement from his own wife, widespread community support, and his son states that he hopes to carry on his father's work when he grows up, it's downright spine-chilling.
Where to watch:
Netflix
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