Review: Spiders on a Plane (2024)
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

Spiders on a Plane is a movie that promises pure B-movie fun with its ridiculous premise and over-the-top action, but unfortunately, it doesn’t quite deliver on the thrill. While the concept of venomous spiders wreaking havoc aboard a passenger plane has all the makings of a campy guilty pleasure, the execution leaves a lot to be desired.

The film follows a group of passengers and crew who are trapped mid-flight as a cargo of genetically modified spiders escape, causing chaos and panic in the confined space of the plane. Sounds entertaining, right? The trailer certainly makes it look that way. However, the film struggles with pacing, and what should have been a non-stop thrill ride instead feels drawn out and filled with too many moments of unnecessary filler.

The special effects are hit-or-miss. While the spiders are adequately creepy in some scenes, there are moments where they look more comical than terrifying. The CGI is noticeably inconsistent, making the more intense sequences feel less menacing and more like something you’d see in a cheesy 90s creature feature. This isn’t helped by the film’s reliance on jump scares that are far too predictable to have any real impact.

As for the characters, they are paper-thin and lack the depth needed to make their fates matter. The ensemble cast, which includes a mix of airline crew and quirky passengers, delivers some truly cringe-worthy dialogue. The characters’ motivations seem forced, and their reactions to the situation often lack the sense of urgency you’d expect from people fighting for their lives. The lead performance, while not terrible, doesn’t offer much beyond basic survival instincts, which leaves the audience struggling to care about who lives and who doesn’t.

That said, Spiders on a Plane isn’t completely devoid of charm. There’s a certain so-bad-it’s-good quality to it that might appeal to fans of cheesy disaster movies and lovers of campy horror. The ridiculousness of the plot, combined with some intentionally absurd moments, offers enough laughs to keep you entertained—albeit unintentionally. There’s a sense of self-awareness, as if the movie knows it’s silly, but it doesn’t lean into that campiness enough to make it truly enjoyable in an ironic way.

The film does have a few standout moments of absurdity. The spiders’ attacks are, at times, wildly creative in their execution—though, again, not always in the way the filmmakers intended. Watching characters trying to outwit giant arachnids in a confined space is amusing for a while, but the novelty wears thin rather quickly.

In conclusion, Spiders on a Plane is the kind of movie that’s better suited for a late-night viewing with friends, where you can laugh at the absurdity of it all. It doesn’t live up to the potential of its outlandish concept, and while it provides some moments of cheesy fun, it’s ultimately forgettable. If you’re looking for a serious horror experience, this isn’t it. If you’re just in the mood for a mindless, campy disaster flick, it may still be worth a watch—but don’t expect much beyond the spiders and the chaos.