Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Blood, death, kids in peril in too-familiar horror movie.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Cobweb
What's the Story?
In COBWEB, young Peter (Woody Norman) is being bullied at school, and at home, his parents -- Carol (Lizzy Caplan) and Mark (Antony Starr) -- act very strangely. At night, Peter hears taps coming from inside the wall, but whenever he tries to tell his parents, they tell him that he's just been dreaming or that the house is creaking. But substitute teacher Miss Devine (Cleopatra Coleman) listens to him. One night, a voice speaks to the boy, claiming to be his sister. The voice encourages Peter to stand up to those who are bullying him and says not to listen to his parents, who are evil. One night, Peter finds the door to his sister's prison and lets her out. But she's not quite what he was expecting.
Is It Any Good?
Managing just one or two genuinely creepy/cool horror moments, this disappointing movie ultimately relies too heavily on familiar visuals and themes from many other chillers and ends with a whimper. Produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Cobweb marks the directing debut of Samuel Bodin and the second screenplay by Chris Thomas Devlin, whose debut was the Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot. Together they gleefully steal classic moments from Halloween, including someone bullying a boy who's carrying a pumpkin. Even the town is called "Holdenfield," which is a little too close to Halloween's "Haddonfield." And the monster -- a skittering, stringy-haired thing that can climb walls -- recalls the girls from The Ring, The Grudge, and more.
But even without these elements, the movie makes little sense. The parents act strange for virtually no reason, which just draws attention to the fact that they're hiding something, rather than playing it cool. And, while Coleman's Miss Devine is a welcome addition, it's not logical that she would keep showing up at Peter's house, overstepping her bounds. Finally, putting children in peril in such a careless movie leaves Cobweb all tangled up.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Cobweb's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of scary movies? Why do people sometimes like to be scared?
How is bullying depicted? What solutions are tried? What are some other, potentially more positive ways of dealing with bullying?
Why do you suppose Peter's parents chose to hide their secret, rather than accept and love it?
Do you consider Miss Devine a role model? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 21, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : September 12, 2023
- Cast : Lizzy Caplan , Woody Norman , Cleopatra Coleman
- Director : Samuel Bodin
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 88 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : horror violence and some language
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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