#REVIEW: “SPIDER-NOIR”

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

New York City, circa 1930s. The Great Depression is taking its toll, Prohibition rages on and Ben Reilly (the immortal Oscar-winner Nicolas Cage) is a down-on-his-luck private detective scraping by as best as he can. He was once the city’s superhero, The Spider; sadly, those days are long behind him. But after an arsonist botches an assassination attempt on local mob kingpin Silvermane (Brendan Gleeson), Reilly just might have to dust off his old costume and bring The Spider back.

That is how the ball starts rolling in SPIDER-NOIR (or “SPIDER-NOIR” as per its opening credits sequence), a live-action series based off a supporting character in the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse that was originally from an alternate universe Spider-Man comic book series. The origins are a bit convoluted, but the long and short of it all is that this is a gritty, violent, hyper-stylized film noir version of Spider-Man, and he’s played by Nicolas Cage.

That description alone should tell you whether or not this show is for you.

Of course, as someone who worships at the altar of all things Cage, I can tell you that I was hooked within the first minute of starting SPIDER-NOIR. The legendary performer is perfect as the hardened private dick, nailing the mannerisms of the grizzled noir archetype with the same emphasis and gravitas that he does the wise-ass quip spraying webslinger. Cage plays to his strengths as a performer, finely walking the line between seriousness and camp, never winking at the audience to let them know he is acutely aware of the wild premise he finds himself in. If you thought he was great as a voice, just wait until you see him playing the character in the flesh.

Supporting turns from Gleeson, Sinners’ Li Jun Li (as the prototypical femme fatale), Karen Rodriguez and Jack Huston are all well done. That said, after watching a handful of episodes, I can only hope that Winnie the Bish himself Lamorne Morris gets more to do as the series rolls on. He’s a real delight in every scene he is in and does terrific work as journalist Robbie Robertson, who may or may not know about Reilly’s old crime fighting days.

Beyond the acting and characters you might recognize, what I really dug about SPIDER-NOIR was the aesthetic and feel of each episode. In an inspired move, you are able to watch each of the series’ eight episodes in “Authentic Black & White” as the noir genre typically dictates or in a vivid and heightened “True-Hue Full Color”. Both styles are valid – though I have a preference for the black and white – and seem to reward viewers for watching each episode twice. While the digital artificialness of some scenes and backgrounds is noticeably better hidden in black and white, the vibrant costuming and art direction really pops off the screen in colour. It is an interesting experiment that some may find gimmicky, but others will truly appreciate the creativity it inspires.

I was excited and intrigued by SPIDER-NOIR when it was first announced, and am fairly pleased by how it turned out. The cast is great, the look and feel is solid and the man himself, Nicolas Cage, is just as impeccable as he should be. Do not let the period piece nature of the project deter you – this is something mature comic book fans will not want to miss.

All eight episodes of SPIDER-NOIR will be available to stream on Prime Video Canada starting Wednesday, May 27, 2026 in both “Authentic Black & White” and “True-Hue Full Color”.