Spider Noir is such an interesting show. While we see the iconic Spider Noir fight in action with the Silvermane’s henchmen (e.g. Sandman, Tombstoone, and later on Megawatt). Unlike previous Spider-Man adaptations, Ben Reilly presents a cynical/bitter take on the iconic web slinging hero. Unlike Peter Parker, who despite his tribulations rises to the occasion and fights despite what he’s lost. Ben, on the other hand gives up being the Spider-Noir after a fatal accident with his fiancée who ends up dying. There’s something about this side that intrigues me as he slowly comes back into the role of hero, but in this case antihero due to his cynical outlook on life and how if he feels there’s no power, the responsibility won’t fall on him.
A standout is the cynicism of Ben and while the showrunners/writers could’ve played this into him having a bitter ending where he ends up dying or is unlikeable to the point where we root for his death, it was balanced with the slick 1930s New York style that was charming and didn’t feel out of place once in the show. The way Cage was able to use his eyes and play to the scene and elevate the stakes was something I loved watching and had me invested from the start to the end.
The performances of Cage, Li, Morris, Popoola, Gleeson, Ruiz, and Caldwell honestly were authentic and stripped while also balancing the intensity and the world the show was going for. The finale was really when the stakes of every character went up and I felt the pain and could understand the reasons why they did what they did. Despite feeling betrayed that Cat betrayed Ben’s secret identity, I also understand her love for Flint never wavered and all she wanted was the love of her life back. It was terrible when I first saw it and gasped. Up till Spider-Man: Far From Home and No Way Home, Marvel has stayed away from exposing Spider-Man’s true identity, so it have them up the stakes just shows how far Cat was willing to go to save Flint. I admire her for her intentions, but also felt ecstatic that Janet slapped her for her betrayal as Ben was vulnerable with her and she took that and made him an experiment in order to save the failed mutations of the WWI soldiers who were POW (Prisoners of War).
Speaking of the soldiers (Lonnie, Flint, and Dirk). I wanted to hate them, but I couldn’t. They were men that were not only fighting for there country and prisoners of war, they also had the trauma of being experimented on and had abilities that were slowly killing them. I couldn’t entirely blame them for wanting some justice, especially after the glass cages the doctor kept of the dead soldier mutations. Seeing that, I felt there anger and that moment, in spite of Dirk being the main villain, I sympathized with him for that one moment because in his eyes he was seeing the soldiers/friends that he saw fall in battle and thought were dead. It was a devastating scene to watch but also shows how deadly science can be if it’s in the wrong hands and how not all advancements need to be made. The scene was chilling and could see the layers in these characters that we’re supposed to hate but couldn’t help but feel bad for. However, Lonnie did want out sooner but Flint convinced him to stay, which he did until he was cured and I was glad for that.
Another aspect this Marvel Sony project did well was the score. Whenever the scene was ramping up to when there would be a battle/killing of a character, the score was able to not only match the mood of the scene, but also elevate it to where they played with our anticipation and I respect that. The finale is where the score shines, along with the episode 6, having a mix of The Twilight Zone and Frankenstein inspired feel to that episode, the episode benefits from the score and how they brought that eerie feeling to life. Episode 8, the climax is climbing slowly and the score is able to play into the actor’s emotions and I loved that one little detail of how the score is able to uplight a tense scene and bring it to life.
A shoutout to Dirk (Andrew Lewis Caldwell). He was perfect for Dirk/Megawatt. Often, I see him in TV shows/movies where his characters aren’t as layered (e.g. Henry Danger as Biff). This, however he was able to show the audience what he was made of and I loved it. From the creepy vibe of his accent to the dark rhymes, every layer of villainy the character had was perfect! In my opinion, his performance stood out along with Nicholas Cage as Ben Reilly.
This is a great show and while it has some very dark moments, I highly recommend watching it in either Black and White or in Color. I prefer black and white due to how it was first promoted and did the 1920s/30s setting justice!
