{
  "id": 14965291,
  "title": "‘Crawlers’ Review: Hey, There’s a Spider On Your Back: The Movie",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/crawlers-review-hey-theres-a-spider-on-your-back-the-movie",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-16T13:27:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TheWrap",
    "slug": "thewrap",
    "url": "https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/crawlers-review-matilda-lutz-spider-movie/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Angel Gómez Hernández's latest film \"Crawlers\" is a thrilling and humorous take on the classic horror concept of a spider invasion. The movie, set in a California apartment complex, tells the story of a UCLA professor who returns from an international trip and dies horrifically in his own kitchen due to a large, ulcerating pustule on his shoulder that releases a large number of deadly spiders. These spiders grow to rat size, breed rapidly, and infest the entire building, leading to a quarantine. The film, much like the humorous \"Kids in the Hall\" sketch about a horror author whose book is only seven words long, \"Hey, There's a Spider on Your Back!\", manages to effectively deliver terror in a concise and efficient manner.\n\nHernández's film boasts impressive camera movements and a cast of memorable characters, often employing playful title cards which claim that for every person on Earth, there are three million spiders. The film also suggests that if spiders were to turn on humanity, they would take over the planet within a year. The film introduces us to the various tenants of the building, most of whom are destined to become spider food, but the focus is on the long-suffering superintendent, Serena, portrayed by Matilda Lutz. Serena is trying to keep the building together despite her lack of qualifications and the constant blame placed upon her for the building's problems.\n\nMatilda Lutz's portrayal of Serena is convincing and world-weary, as if she's resigned to accept humiliation after humiliation. However, the arrival of the killer spiders injects a sense of purpose into Serena's character. The other tenants, on the other hand, are mostly unlikable jerks, save for the local gothic dominatrix played by Melina Matthews, who is worth saving along with the teenager and the baby. Despite its similarities to Sebastien Vaniček's \"Infested,\" \"Crawlers\" offers a lighter touch and a more mischievous approach to the horror genre. The film ultimately emphasizes the primal fear most people have of spiders, as even a harmless daddy longlegs can send them running from a bathroom. Despite its cleverness, Hernández always returns to the fear that a spider might be on someone's back, reminding viewers that there is indeed a spider on their back, in their coffee mug, and behind their eyeball. \"Crawlers\" is currently in theaters.",
  "summary": "Arachnophobes beware! Matilda Lutz gets trapped in an apartment complex with thousands of deadly wall crawlers in this fiendishly fun flick The post ‘Crawlers’ Review: Hey, There’s a Spider On Your Back: The Movie appeared first on TheWrap .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}