Spiderhead (2022)

Meandering SciFi Drama - Spiderhead review by GI

A meandering sci-fi drama that loses it's way if indeed it ever knew where it was going. Set in the near future in an experimental psychology unit on a remote island where smarmy scientist Dr Abnesti (Chris Hemsworth) is testing experimental drugs that can affect a persons emotions from love to fear and even make them lustful for another. His patients are all volunteer prisoners who've agreed to have these drugs pumped into them in return for a shorter sentence. One of them, Jeff (Miles Teller) begins to question the experiment and uncovers Abnesti's true motives. There's elements of voyeurism and fetishistic behaviour as Hemsworth watches his patients have sex after inducing them to fancy each other even toying with homosexuality in heterosexual people. The film doesn't seem to have much to say other than give the stars a reason to demonstrate their range of acting out emotions as they are injected with the various drugs. After awhile you'll not really care what happens or who to because it all becomes a bit laborious.