The peculiarly titled Spiderhead arrives on Netflix with about as little fanfare as a movie starring an Avenger, written by the duo behind Deadpool, and directed by the person behind the summer time’s most beloved blockbuster may presumably garner. This appears much more stunning upon watching the opening minutes, through which Joseph Kosinski attracts on his High Gun: Maverick field of methods to deploy hanging pictures of a Cessna voyaging by means of azure skies (co-lead Miles Teller is one other Maverick hyperlink). However as soon as that seaplane parks, it’s clear that this can be a very completely different proposition to that high-altitude, fist-pumping motion flick. A claustrophobic, headfucky thriller about mysterious experiments, Spiderhead is ready nearly solely in simply two rooms. No want for velocity right here — however whereas it’s admirable that Kosinski and his forged are attempting one thing new, this experiment is just partially profitable.

The supply materials is a New Yorker quick story, Escape From Spiderhead, a cold sliver of science-fiction by George Saunders. In it, Saunders paints an Orwellian image of prisoners experimented on by an amiable however dark-intentioned warden: activating medicine through distant management, he can manipulate their feelings and even their ideas. In increasing the story right into a characteristic movie, Kosinski has had enjoyable making a chicly nightmarish penitentiary, all glossy surfaces, communal espresso pots and rooms with hellish secrets and techniques (in case you’re questioning why it’s referred to as Spiderhead, effectively, the constructing has eight wings, with the nerve-centre being the highest one). Whereas it’s hardly a visible feast, there are sensible little design prospers, just like the colour-coded vials that click on into Apple-esque ‘MobiPaks’ on the sufferers’ backs.

Solid-wise, whereas Teller delivers a strong efficiency because the prisoner on the coronary heart of the story (there are such a lot of flashbacks to the automobile accident that noticed him incarcerated that it begins to really feel like padding), the primary occasion is Chris Hemsworth going full mad scientist. Having nearly as a lot enjoyable as Oscar Isaac did in Ex Machina, and even getting an identical dance routine, Hemsworth is essentially the most immaculately groomed Bond villain ever, a bespectacled pharmaceutical bro who says issues like, “Strain types diamonds,” when he’s not performing heinous experiments on his captives. Whereas he’s enjoyable, the character by no means musters up a lot menace, a difficulty on condition that that is positioned as a taut two-hander. As Spiderhead’s chief arachnid, he’s a little bit of a let-down.

It’s refreshing to get a sci-fi movie that dials down the ‘fi’ whereas going large on the ‘sci’. There’s nearly no motion right here (when some does arrive within the third act, it feels extraneous), with Kosinski trusting in his small ensemble of actors to ship thrills with their jargon-heavy dialogue alone. That tactic principally comes off — followers of Black Mirror will possible benefit from the snaky, jet-black plot. That stated, how a lot you’re entertained by it might be in direct proportion to your tolerance for listening to Chris Hemsworth say the phrase ‘Darkenfloxx’ — it needs to be within the double-digits, at the least.