FrightFest 2026 Review: SPIDER ISLAND is a Fun Creep-Crawly Creature Feature

They make your skin crawl, they appear to come out of nowhere, and you can’t stand the sight of them, but they have every right to be here just like you and me. Yes, social media influencers really are a divisive bunch—they’re all over your algorithm like creepy-crawlies under a rock in the garden. Still, Spider Island may have found a cathartic cure for these social media ills: a big dose of Mother Nature and a hoard of her eight-legged offspring.

In order to promote the brand-new and exclusive holiday resort, narcissistic and self-absorbed manager David (Andy Nyman) invites a wave of shiny, sexy influencers and "content creators" to the tropical paradise to promote it to their millions of followers. This includes people from the world of fashion, beauty, and culture, as well as Mongoose (Divian Ladwa), an influencer whose followers watch him torture himself in a variety of ways for their viewing pleasure.

In the midst of the snap-happy socialerati is undercover journalist Clara (Rose Williams), who is determined to expose the "greenwashing" that has taken place during the construction of the hotel. She is aided by Ed (Justin Daniels Anene), an environmentalist who has a sweet spot for both nature and Clara.

While on the island, Clara begrudgingly reconnects with her estranged father, Curtis (Tim McInnerny), a former actor who promised to conserve and protect the island but has done a better job of safeguarding his perpetual hangover. Clara still carries resentment about the loss of the island as well as the loss of her mother. The pair were close, and her death has driven a wedge between father and daughter.

While the alcohol flows and the likes roll in, the influencers complain of bad Wi-Fi and no air conditioning. However, this is the least of their worries, as something a lot more dangerous and scary than being deplatformed is waiting. And it’s waiting in droves. The spiders have been driven out from underground, and there are influencers as far as the eye can see.

There’s nothing that taps into that squirming, uncomfortable feeling more than spiders, especially when there are a lot of them. You instantly know what it feels like to have creepy-crawlies on you or to realise there are swarms of them in your presence, and Spider Island taps into that feeling really well.

Director Chris Smith has tackled a wide spectrum of horror since his debut some 20 years ago—covering everything from a killer on the London Underground to the Black Death, all the way through to a Greek mythology-inspired time-loop thriller. Spider Island is more in keeping with Severance, a fun and anarchic comedy.

Andy Nyman and Tim McInnerny lead the cast and are the real standout performers. Nyman especially comes into his own as the despicable, nasty hotel owner who goes as far as covering up deaths in order to avoid bad publicity.

The use of real-life influencers/actors and cutting to vertical footage that the guests are filming is a nice touch that mixes the cinematic with the social. It’s a shame it wasn’t used more—having spiders seemingly leap at your face is always a good way to make anyone jump.

The message of conservation and environmentalism is present throughout—sometimes a little bit too much—but Spider Island doesn’t go the way of many creature features by having mutated, giant creatures ripping people in two. The threat comes from the volume and the venom. One bite and you’re gone.

In the midst of all the creeping carnage, there is a poignant moment when the influencers question if they should share the revelation of "greenwashing" at the resort, and ultimately, they decide not to, wryly demonstrating that many social media profiles have a paymaster. The influencers on the island don’t want to bite the hand that feeds—the spiders will do that for them.

Spider Island gives a big wink to the "nature bites back" films of the '70s and '80s, but refreshingly, it doesn’t take itself as seriously. This is perfect viewing for a late-night crowd.

Movie Score: 3.5 / 5