Spider-Noir Review
Director: Harry Bradbeer, Nzingha Stewart, Alethea Jones and Greg Yaitanes
Date Created: 2026-05-27 02:53
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Spider-Noir Review: Created by Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot, the Prime Video series is based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man Noir. Directed by Harry Bradbeer, Nzingha Stewart, Alethea Jones and Greg Yaitanes, the series stars Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly/The Spider alongside Lamorne Morris, Brendan Gleeson, Li Jun Li, Jack Huston, Karen Rodriguez, Abraham Popoola and others. The eight-episode series, with each episode running around 40 minutes, takes Spider-Man out of the usual modern superhero chaos and drops him into a dark, smoky version of 1930s New York.
Spider-Noir Review
Prime Video’s Spider-Noir story revolves around the life of Ben Reilly, who was once a very successful private detective but is now a washed-up one due to a tragic incident in his life some years ago and since then stopped wearing the mask of The Spider and immersed himself in drinking and despair, as well as taking on petty cases that provide him just enough money to survive. However, things start to go downhill when Ben accepts a case concerning the singer of the nightclub named Cat Hardy and ends up entangled in a web of crime and politics surrounding super-powered criminals.
The fact that Prime Video series Spider-Noir stays true to its noir essence is what I really appreciate about the program. It’s refreshing to see that the program is not just another Marvel series attempting to imitate older noir-style detective movies. The ambience is really able to carry the whole series. The monochrome style definitely fits perfectly, as the shadows cast by each alley and smoke-filled room help to contribute to the feeling of the series. Even if the series were done in colour, it would have still had that gritty and antiquated vibe.
The more the story progresses, the more comic book elements start appearing, such as the appearance of Sandman, Tombstone and Megawatt, yet even in these cases, the approach remains very realistic for the most part. For example, there is an episode in which Ben is trying to track down some leads from a picture, which takes him to City Hall, revealing how corrupt things really are at that time.
In addition to that, another important plot point includes Robbie’s effort to reveal some important secrets about corrupt politicians and his constant pressure on Ben to be The Spider again, since the city needs some hope. Both these subplots make sense when the city itself is considered to be the main villain.
As far as Nicolas Cage goes, he really steals the entire Spider-Noir series with his acting alone. He is very dramatic, bizarre, and sometimes just out-and-out ridiculous, yet this works well within the context of the whole noir theme. He speaks like a private investigator straight out of one of the classic gangster movies and gives long speeches that can be either incredibly inspired or totally overdone, according to the situation. However, even with all of this bizarre behaviour, the thing that makes Ben an appealing character is how tired he is.
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The supporting actors also perform adequately. It is clear that Brendan Gleeson has fun portraying the menacing but strangely endearing character of Silvermane, the gangster whose demeanour remains cool despite threats of physical harm. Li Jun Li gives a strong performance as Cat Hardy, albeit not as compellingly passionate when in her romance with Ben. On the other hand, Lamorne Morris infuses energy into Robbie Robertson, especially when confronting Ben.
The place where the Prime Video Spider-Noir series started to lose me a bit is in the middle episodes. While the mystery element is well done, at some point, the plot becomes somewhat predictable. Once the conspiracy gets explained in more detail, it just begins to look like a typical corrupt plot alongside a classic “hero comes for the last fight” scenario. Some episodes are boring, as the pace slows way too much when talking again and again about guilt, destiny, and whether Ben needs to put on the mask. There is an attempt in some episodes at using style as substance, which does not always work.
I would also add that there is a lack of creativity in the show when it comes to making villains more vivid characters. Villains such as Sandman and Tombstone are both quite impressive-looking characters and are very consistent with the noir theme, but what is really missing is their ability to become emotionally interesting. This applies to certain emotional subplots as well, especially romance.
Nevertheless, there is no denying that Spider-Noir is unique because of its attempts at innovation. During an era where virtually all superhero endeavours are fixated with multiple realities, gigantic CGI fights and constant celebrity cameo appearances, this particular series chooses to focus on one broken individual attempting to make sense of his surroundings and whether or not being a hero still holds any significance.
Prime Video Spider-Noir Review: Summing Up
On the whole, it can be said that Spider-Noir is quite stylish and atmospheric, with Cage’s dedicated performance taking it to the next level. The unique nature of the detective-noir genre makes for a unique setting to the storyline, while its crime-based storyline keeps viewers interested for the most part of the season. Nevertheless, the predictability of the plot, the inconsistent pace of the events and the weak development of emotions make the show unable to be considered a masterpiece.
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