SPIDER-NOIR

Nicholas Cage and that gorgeous B&W noir style swing hard in SPIDER-NOIR, but there’s not enough story to spin a web across eight episodes. It pains me to write that. I love classic noir, where the protagonist stays fixed while the world rots around him. SPIDER-NOIR gets the formula right: the ‘Spider’ barely changes, all tough exterior and soft interior, exactly as the genre demands.

What holds it together is a gusto performance from Cage. He chews up the scenery in a way that only Cage can. One minute he’s drunk and sarcastic, the next he’s hopelessly romantic, and then he, get this, even sings. It’s a blast, and it’ll leave you hoping this Spider-Man swings into the next Spider-Verse film.

Of note: SPIDER-NOIR lets you toggle between black-and-white and color in real time. I enjoyed both. Here’s why:

• B&W: Gorgeous. Every shot feels ripped from an old classic, with direct nods to DOUBLE INDEMNITY and beyond. Where it fails is when you’re a tired dad, and those muted tones lull you to sleep. So I switched to…
• Color: For the back half. It kept me awake and engaged. I dug it, but the B&W is superior.
• My View: Try both. When a scene’s lighting feels like B&W would magnify it, go monochrome. When color does it justice, flip over. You can’t really go wrong.

Final Thought: They say with great power comes great responsibility. But Ben/The Spider is at his most interesting when he has no power and is forced into being responsible. That tug-of-war keeps the show engaging even as the story falters.

The entire first season is available on Prime Video.