Sting Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Kiah Roache-Turner
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Ryan Corr, Alyla Browne, Jermaine Fowler, Penelope Mitchell
• Language ‏ : ‎ English (Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ Australia
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Subtitled, DVD, NTSC
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 32 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ July 30, 2024

        Creature features have always been among my favorite horror sub-genres, because of the potential for fun thrills and a variety of unique monsters. While the use of large spiders from space is not a unique concept, the larger problem with Sting is the lack of fun. Too much of the narrative is bogged down by unpleasant family drama, altering the tone of film that could have been much more enjoyable with a different approach. As far as horror movies with spiders, I would choose Arachnophobia (1990) over this. And as for alien invasion films set in an apartment building, Attack the Block (2011) understood how to make the most out of the concept. Sting falls short, though it does contain impressive creature effects from Weta Workshop.

 

        When an alien species resembling a spider land in a rundown apartment building in New York City, an angsty pre-teen named Charlotte (Alyla Browne) decides to make it her pet. The obnoxious character also ignores the fact that the spider grows quickly while eating anything put in its path. Along with the insects and small animals given to it, the spider alien is able to escape its enclosure, slowly killing tenants and visiting exterminators. Charlotte’s reckless behavior is excused away because she is moody about her absent father, choosing to mostly take it out on her step-father, Ethan (Ryan Corr).

 

        Despite being set in New York, Sting was actually made in Australia, primarily to make use of the Weta Workshop in creating the creature effects. And this might have been the film’s best choice, because the design and execution of the spider is easily the best part of the film. There are some fairly memorable and graphic death scenes involving the spider, which would be much more enjoyable without the storyline of a family that never seems to stop fighting. There are other relationship dynamics in the apartment building, but they only weigh the film down even more. If only Sting had remembered to be fun, it would be a lot easier to recommend.

 

        The Blu-ray release of Sting comes with a behind-the-scenes featurette, mostly focused on the special effects for obvious reasons. The only other extra is the film’s theatrical trailer.  

 

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 6/10

Historical Significance:  4/10

Special Features: 3/10