The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story
Year: 2024
Director: Jarrelle Dampier
Starring: Shameik Moore & Brian Tyree Henry
Runtime: 7 mins
BBFC: PG
Published: 03/04/24
Director: Jarrelle Dampier
Starring: Shameik Moore & Brian Tyree Henry
Runtime: 7 mins
BBFC: PG
Published: 03/04/24
It feels like an age has passed since Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’s cliffhanger ending, and the delay of the third entry, Beyond the Spider-Verse, has only made the wait to find out what will happen all that more unbearable.
But following the release of Across the Spider-Verse there was the announcement of a Spider-Verse short film that would be arriving soon. The key word being ‘soon’ because it’s been almost a year and I’d entirely forgotten about The Spider Within until it was shadow dropped by Sony on YouTube. Was it worth the wait?
Following a hard day of being the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, Miles (Shameik Moore) returns home to find his father, Jefferson (Brian Tyree Henry), has planned a movie night for them both.
Needing to relax, Miles shuts himself away in his bedroom and faces his inner demons.
When The Spider Within was first announced it was touted to be an exploration of anxiety and mental health struggles. However, the reality is far from that description, and so I found it hard not to be disappointed by what little The Spider Within offered up.
But following the release of Across the Spider-Verse there was the announcement of a Spider-Verse short film that would be arriving soon. The key word being ‘soon’ because it’s been almost a year and I’d entirely forgotten about The Spider Within until it was shadow dropped by Sony on YouTube. Was it worth the wait?
Following a hard day of being the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, Miles (Shameik Moore) returns home to find his father, Jefferson (Brian Tyree Henry), has planned a movie night for them both.
Needing to relax, Miles shuts himself away in his bedroom and faces his inner demons.
When The Spider Within was first announced it was touted to be an exploration of anxiety and mental health struggles. However, the reality is far from that description, and so I found it hard not to be disappointed by what little The Spider Within offered up.
There’s only so much you can do in seven minutes, but considering around four of those minutes were a largely meaningless action sequence it felt like wasted time.
I will say I liked the horror angle the short took, and some of the imagery used was definitely enough to make an arachnophobe like me uncomfortable.
But there was no exploration of anxiety or mental health issues, it was a panic attack that Miles just got over. The short ends with Miles and his dad seemingly having a conversation about Miles’ concerns, but we don’t get to hear any of it.
I’m not going to complain too much because it’s a free Spider-Verse short. The animation is expertly done, and some visuals the short delivers are truly inspired. But The Spider Within has no discernible story, and it doesn’t contribute meaningfully to either Miles or Jefferson’s characters. I wouldn’t go out of your way to watch this, but then again, a free YouTube video under ten minutes isn’t exactly demanding much from fans.
I will say I liked the horror angle the short took, and some of the imagery used was definitely enough to make an arachnophobe like me uncomfortable.
But there was no exploration of anxiety or mental health issues, it was a panic attack that Miles just got over. The short ends with Miles and his dad seemingly having a conversation about Miles’ concerns, but we don’t get to hear any of it.
I’m not going to complain too much because it’s a free Spider-Verse short. The animation is expertly done, and some visuals the short delivers are truly inspired. But The Spider Within has no discernible story, and it doesn’t contribute meaningfully to either Miles or Jefferson’s characters. I wouldn’t go out of your way to watch this, but then again, a free YouTube video under ten minutes isn’t exactly demanding much from fans.