An excerpt from my script review for Spiderhead which will be available 07/25/22:
What Worked
Steve Abnesti – I liked Abnesti as a villain, because he was really charismatic, but you could tell something was off with him from the jump. And, of course, he just gets more and more sinister as the script goes on.
It’s an interesting character progression, and one that’s worth paying attention to as you craft your own antagonists.
Also, in regards to the film, casting Chris Hemsworth in the role was a great call.
The Flashbacks – I also like the way these were done and how they built up to a devastating reveal. Flashbacks certainly don’t always work, and I would advise you to be very careful when using them, however, here they did help give us some insight into the lead character and his guilt.
The Reveal – Though I do wish they had done more with this, it was a nice twisty-reveal involving what they are actually testing / doing at the research facility.
Let Me Make A Call – This scene was fantastic! When Abnesti (Chris Hemsworth) is asking Jeff (Miles Teller) to administer Darkenfloxx to Heather.
Jeff doesn’t want to, because he has had Darkenfloxx and knows how awful the drug is. So, Jeff asks Abnesti if he can call the board to see if there is any way around it.
Abnesti promises he will make a call, leaves the room, and then goes down to the kitchen and has a creepy conversation with Lizzy.
Then, he returns and tells Jeff that the board said he had to continue.
This was great, because it showed three important things in one quick segment:
First, we see how much Jeff (and the patients in general) have put their trust in Abnesti.
Second, we see how little Abnesti cares about these individuals and how easily he can manipulate them.
Third, we get some backstory on Lizzie and a creepy interaction with Abnesti, which reinforces that this guy is up to no good.
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