Official Synopsis
A bunch of young men and women just want to have some fun in the sun. What could go wrong?
Review
Spider Island sees the trope of unlikable influencers getting theirs move from the more often used location of a single type of bode to an entire resort island. Influencers are certainly an easy target, but that type of character is becoming low hanging fruit with each new fear flick. Here, director Christopher Smith’s horror comedy at least gives viewers a more sympathetic “creator” and adds a young woman named Clara (Rose Williams) who is not a part of that group and is concerned with ecoactivism rather than joining the hedonistic partying provided courtesy of pompous corporate resort employee David (Andy Nyman).
David wants the influencers to spread the good word about the resort but poisonous arachnids won’t give up their home turf so easily. Clara’s estranged father Curtis (Tim McInnerny) was a famous stage actor who gave up the boards for his own, much smaller lodging on the island. All of the above and more gives Smith — working from a screenplay by Ben Jacques, Christopher Jolley, and David Quantick — plenty of intrigue with which to work before, during, and after the main draw of copious spider attacks.
Spider Island is a slick, great-looking slice of genre cinema with a nice balance of humor and horror. Williams effectively brings a grounded performance to level out the (deliberate) abundant scenery chewing from other cast members. There’s plenty of social commentary including the protection of nature, the vapidness of influencer culture, and generational differences, but the film never loses sight of being a horror comedy meant to entertain.
Spider Island screened as part of Tubi FrightFest 2026, which ran August 27–31 in London, U.K.
For more information, visit the film’s Tubi FrightFest page here.
