‘STING’ (2024) Killer campy creature-feature

well go usa logoSTING

Sting poster

12-year-old Charlotte captures a pet spider in her rundown apartment building. When her pet’s appetite increases, she is not so cute anymore. STING is creature-feature heaven.

STING-Still5-1340x754Jermaine Fowler gives an unforgettable performance as Frank, the exterminator. All eyes are on him in every scene he shows up in. Noni Hazlehurst is loveable as Charlotte’s dementia-ridden grandmother.

Penelope Mitchell (What You Wish For) is solid playing the newly postpartum mother of Charlotte and baby Liam, Heather. PS- Keep your ears sharp for Kate Walsh‘s voice.

STING-Still4-1340x754Ryan Corr gives Ethan a palpable charm in his mounting frustration. Charlotte’s stepfather, the building handyman by day and graphic artist by night, the epic snowstorm outside, the needy residents inside, and a giant ass, alien spider severely harsh his mellow.

Alyla Browne is magnetic as Charlotte, an adolescent badass, budding graphic novelist, and into the macabre. A mix of fearless with a side of abandonment issues, she owns every second of screen time.

I adore the nod to Charlotte’s Web in our little ingenue’s moniker. Please give me a scenario where she teams up with Lulu Wilson (BECKY franchise), and that is an entirely new genre franchise laid out in front of you.

STING-Still1-1340x754The film boasts a sometimes curious childlike score, an absurdly upbeat soundtrack, smart-looking opening credits, and an unmissable homage to Alien and Terminator. Our titular character is a creative wonder. Sting is something you have to see to appreciate. It is magnificent. Thank you, WĒTĀ Workshops.

Writer-director Kiah Roache-Turner (The Wyrmwood films) delivers tons of gorey fun with gross transitions and gagworthy practical FX. STING is a cleverly updated stab at a classic horror trope. You will devour it.

Opens Wide in North American Theaters on April 12th

After raising an unnervingly talented spider in secret, 12-year-old Charlotte must face the facts about her pet—and fight for her family’s survival—when the once-charming creature rapidly transforms into a giant, flesh-eating monster.

Directed by: Kiah Roache-Turner

Cast: 
Ryan Corr
Alyla Browne
Penelope Mitchell
Robyn Nevin
Noni Hazelhurst
Silvia Colloca
Danny Kim
Jermaine Fowler

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STING has been rated R (for violent content, bloody images and language).