Kiss of the Spider Woman

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TheMovieSearch R Watching the 1985 version of Kiss of the Spider Woman after seeing the 2025 remake was a frustrating experience because, honestly, both films suffer from the exact same problems. The story, tone, and presentation feel nearly identical — which makes the remake seem even more pointless. When you remake a film, there should be growth, innovation, or at least a reason to revisit the material. Instead, this feels like the same unpolished script told twice with different coats of paint, neither of which work. The original 1985 version, while more grounded in its time, is shockingly messy. The direction is uneven and overindulgent, almost as if the filmmaker couldn’t decide whether the movie wanted to be a bold art piece or an offbeat drama. The pacing drags, the tone wobbles, and the dialogue feels stilted — leaving the audience unsure what they’re supposed to feel. The screenplay doesn’t help either; it’s meandering, pretentious, and never commits to a consistent narrative or emotional core. What really ruins it, though, is the main character. His portrayal feels completely off balance — not layered or complex, just exaggerated and unconvincing. From the wardrobe choices to his mannerisms, everything comes across as absurd rather than intentional. The performance doesn’t give you someone to empathize with or even understand. It’s as if the filmmakers had a vague idea of what they wanted him to represent but never figured out how to make it believable or human. Even when trying to view it through the lens of its era, the film doesn’t hold up. The 1980s setting could’ve offered a bold and atmospheric backdrop, but instead, it feels artificial and disconnected. There’s no authenticity in how the story unfolds or how the visuals support it — it’s simply chaotic. The modern version might update the look, but it inherits the same hollow structure and lack of purpose, making both versions equally uninspired. Ultimately, Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) is a cinematic misfire that never needed to be revisited. Its flaws were already set in stone, and instead of being a hidden gem worth rediscovering, it’s a film best left untouched in the vaults of movie history. Neither version delivers on story or emotion, and both feel like exercises in style without substance. Watching them back-to-back only reinforces how little either one has to offer. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 10/23/25 Full Review Alec B A movie about two men learning to embrace the worldview of the other. The ending always feels emotionally satisfying and moving. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/11/25 Full Review Stephen C Success in 1 hour and 59 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Brazilian Portuguese and English audio versions with English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $13,200,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/04/25 Full Review Leaburn O I was actually unaware until just now that this has just been remade as a musical. It’s a really good film with a superb plot and some excellent acting. What I find odd is that I had to go to YouTube to find a copy of the film to watch as no one streams it and the DVD costs a lot/is incredibly hard to find as it has barely been printed. Back in its day it probably caused a stir but it’s hardly controversial stuff these days. So strange that a post 1980 Best Picture nominee should have been reduced to such obscure status and so incredibly difficult to watch. Very much a good film that has aged well and deserves a wide audience. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/12/25 Full Review ermioni g Everyone was absolutely fabulous. One of Jennifer Lopezes best performances! She sounds amazing. Choreographies and stenography were on point! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/02/25 Full Review William L Kiss of the Spider Woman touches on interesting thoughts on escapism, confinement, and exploitation; of its two main characters, each social outcasts for different reasons, Hurt's Luis realizes the futility of complete immersion in fantasy and eventually confronts his denigration in the eyes of those around him as a result of his prominent homosexuality, while the initial cold and grounded Valentin (Juliá) recognizes the value of his happy memories as a brief respite from the cruelty of his imprisonment. That's all well and good, but there's also aspects of this Best Picture nominee (notable as the first independently-produced film to receive the nod) that are less substantial and actually form a bit of a drag on the film. Most prominently, it trades too heavily on Hurt's highly lauded performance; a film comes along and drops a protagonist in the audiences' laps (a gay man, in the years of the HIV/AIDS crisis) that has some eccentricities as well as the bare minimum of complexity, and critics lapped it up. Hurt himself is fine, but the character isn't exactly brimming with depth, with the big moral conundrum really boiling down to "maybe I shouldn't indirectly condemn an innocent man to save myself?" The film seems like it really hates to consider any sincere moral gray areas, and that makes it feel less like it dives into the suffering that it claims to focus on, and instead gives it a token nod on the way by. Considering Kiss of the Spider Woman in the context of film representation and the development of an indie presence in mainstream cinema, it's an important stepping stone. However, it's also a bit of a relic, and far from the profound think piece on outcasts and diversion that it has often been described as. (3/5) Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/03/21 Full Review Read all reviews

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