by Anthony O'Connor
Worth: $17.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Alyla Browne, Ryan Corr, Penelope Mitchell, Robyn Nevin, Noni Hazelhurst, Jermaine Fowler
Intro:
… a fast-paced, thrilling monster mash …
In the grand year 1990, director Sam Raimi – notorious at the time for The Evil Dead (1981) and Evil Dead II (1987) – released his most mainstream effort yet with Darkman. Starring Liam Neeson, this early superhero flick was meant to be Raimi “calming down” and making something more overtly commercial, without the bizarre cinematography and graphic tree rape that was more typical of his oeuvre. Well, if you’ve seen Darkman you’ll agree that, while yes, it’s less splattery and offensive to your nan than The Evil Dead films, it’s anything but calm. Hell, a couple of sequences where Neeson’s Peyton Westlake does his block includes some of Raimi’s most demented set pieces and dizzyingly creative camera work.
Now, you may be wondering why we’re banging on about Sam Raimi’s early ‘90s output in a review for Kiah Roache-Turner’s narky spider thriller, Sting. Well, it’s because there are a number of parallels between the two films and directors. Kiah is best known for his low budget Aussie zombie apocalypse flicks, Wyrmwood (2014) and Wyrmwood: Apocalypse (2021) and Sting represents a more mainstream, less demented proposition. Similarly, Sting, like Darkman, is anything but mundane, with a restless roaming camera, eye popping sequences and some genuinely grisly moments.
Sting is the story of imaginative 12-year-old Charlotte (Alyla Browne), who lives with her mum, Heather (Penelope Mitchell), baby half brother, Liam (Jett and Kade Berry) and stepfather with whom she has a complicated relationship, Ethan (Ryan Corr). The action kicks off when Charlotte befriends a tiny spider that, unbeknownst to her, is actually a visitor from beyond the stars. She calls the little tacker Sting and feeds him. However, Sting doesn’t stay small, and has a voracious appetite.
Storywise, Sting does exactly what it says on the tin. A bunch of people living in a dingy apartment building (filmed in Australia doubling as America) are menaced and masticated by an increasingly girthy spider from space. If you’ve seen a creature feature before, you’ve probably got an idea of what’s going to happen. Where Sting separates itself from the pack is with Roache-Turner’s kinetic direction. The shots where Charlotte moves through the vents followed by a smoothly agile camera, the sudden appearance of Sting as it leaps up for a nice little nosh and an inspired sequence involving dementia and Noni Hazlehurst (of all people!) are absolute standouts.
It’s not all perfect, mind you. While Alyla Browne gives a superb performance, Noni Hazlehurst is a hoot and Jermaine Fowler seems to be having a blast, some of the other humans skew a little bland. And the subplot involving Ethan and Charlotte’s fractious relationship never quite takes off and is perhaps territory a little well-trodden these days.
Still and all, if you’re in the market for an engaging, stylish creature feature directed with Raimi-esque verve and panache, there’s every chance Sting will sink its dripping mandibles into you. It’s a fast-paced, thrilling monster mash with plenty to recommend it. And hey, maybe watch it in a beaut double bill with Darkman.
