Scrolling through recent news feeds we couldn't help but notice an overwhelming but not universal sense of negativity surrounding Netflix's recently released and current number two film Spiderhead, starring local boy / Marvel thunder god Chris Hemsworth.

The screenplay is by Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.

Without having read any reviews we punched play this morning to see for ourselves.

While we feel like the ending could have been tighter, it's a decent movie deserving a score in the seven to eight out of ten region.

Presently on Rotten Tomatoes it has a critic / viewer score of 42% and 33% and on IMDb.com a 5.4 / 10 rating.

How curious.

What could this be about?

Uncomfortable Topics

Spiderhead is set on a research facility testing behaviour altering drugs on inmates.

Held up as a mirror to the present day world it could be reflecting a range of sensitive issues.

Concern about testing on animals is on the rise.

If you're on the other side of that fence this film could be tickling guilt glands.

Treatment of prisoners and the privatisation of penal systems could be another sore point.

And at the heart of the film is the fact that we humans are biological machines and subject to potential loss of control under the influence of neurochemicals.

Expectations

The film is set almost entirely within the research facility which looks like a modern concrete bunker style mansion.

Most scenes take place in just a few rooms.

It's far removed from blockbuster and some viewers may associate Chris Hemsworth in particular with Marvel level grand scope.

The Deadpool films are genuine gems and Netflix having promoted Spiderhead as by its writers, some viewers may have come to it expecting a similar style film.

It isn't.

Viewership

Whatever the reason for its low rating we will watch with interest to see how well it performs on Netflix.

Garnering 35.4 million hours viewed in its first week is solid.

A second week with comparable viewer hours and Netflix might consider it a roaring success.

For comparison, Don't Look Up and The Adam Project clocked up 111 million and 92.4 million hours respectively but both of those films boasted multiple Hollywood A-list actors, more expansive settings and significant special effects.

Their budgets would have been much bigger.

Spiderhead is available to stream now on Netflix.

[ Main Image: Spiderhead. Credit: Netflix via IMDb.com. ]

References

IMDb.com. Spiderhead. (viewed June 22, 2022)

Netflix Top 10. Films (English) : December 20 - December 26, 2021.

Netflix Top 10. Films (English) : March 7 - March 13, 2022.

Rotten Tomatoes. Spiderhead. (viewed June 22, 2022)

Thao, Phillipe (June 22, 2022). ‘Spiderhead’ Crawls into This Week’s Top 10. Tudum.

Watson, Fay (June 20, 2022). Chris Hemsworth’s new Netflix movie hits number one – as viewers call it his best performance yet. GamesRadar.com.

Wikipedia. Spiderhead. (viewed June 22, 2022)