Based on Marvel Comics “Spider-Man Noir”, Amazon Prime’s live-action Spider-Noir series sees an aging, troubled private investigator, Ben Reilly (Nicolas Cage), struggling to come to grips with his past after a tragedy derailed his status as the lone superhero of 1930s New York. Cage first stepped into the role in the animated masterpiece Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, although the Prime series does not bear any tangible connection to that film outside of Cage and executive producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
The series re-imagines Spider-Man and some of his rogues’ gallery as characters from a detective noir, adding twists to their origins, powers, and personalities – although Cage is not playing Peter Parker. This webhead is instead Ben Reilly, a character comic fans know as a clone of Peter Parker, but it doesn’t seem like this series will adhere to that aspect. Viewers will know they’re in for a ride from the start after a pulpy, beautiful opening sequence, complete with P.I. voiceover, that introduces the dark webslinger’s backstory, followed by a banger of an opening credits sequence. Tonally, the series has campy schtick, old-time movie nostalgia, more laughs than I expected, and even some true horror elements, but overall it’s just really fun.
Spider-Noir is a work of art, and I absolutely loved it as much as Cage seemed to be loving the role. The visuals are stunningly stylish, whether you watch in black and white or “True Hue Full Color”, both options available at release. A baller move by Prime Video, as both are terrific and it’s hard to choose which one is better – although I’m partial to the black and white. “True Hue Full Color” is also gorgeous and absolutely pops in a way that reminded me of Warren Beatty’s underrated 1990 classic Dick Tracy.
If you’re a fan of Cage when unhinged, you’ve got some great content coming your way – especially in the last few installments of the 8-episode season. One particular sequence with a drugged Reilly is vintage Cage, and the series is worth it just for those types of scenes. Spider-Noir definitely lets Cage play with the idea of “spider” instincts in the latter episodes in ways we haven’t seen before from previous live-action Spider-Man characters. Even when it’s clearly not Cage in costume, the action sequences and web swinging are extremely cool, and Cage’s voice-dubbing is still exuberant.
It’s not just Cage stealing the spotlight; Spider-Noir has a fantastic ensemble cast of Reilly’s allies and adversaries. Brendan Gleeson is the quintessential detective noir antagonist as Irish crime boss Silvermane, the overall Big Bad of the season. The talented character actor can be both silly and terrifying, striking a perfect balance for the series’ tone. His lackeys make up the rest of the rogues’ gallery, with Andrew Lewis Caldwell’s psychotic aspiring actor Dirk Leydon, aka Megawatt, being the biggest scene stealer – both in portrayal and appearance, accentuated by glowing electric veins.
Jack Huston plays the most recognizable re-imagined Spider-Man villain as Flint Marko, aka The Sandman. This version has sand marks all over his body like rashes, and they expand and contract with anger and strong emotions, giving him durability and strength. Huston brings a spot-on pencil-mustache henchman for Silvermane with a connection to the series’s femme fatale, Cat Hardy, aka the reimagined Black Cat, played by Li Jun Li. Cat is probably the furthest from the classic version and is instead repurposed as an in-too-deep noir lounge singer inspired by Hollywood Golden Age types like Anna May Wong, Rita Hayworth, etc.
A hero is only as good as the friends at his side, and Reilly has some good ones, both in the characters and the actors that portray them. Lamorne Morris is irresistibly likable as classic Spidey reporter Robbie Robertson. I’ve been a fan of Morris since his comedic days on New Girl and have really enjoyed watching his growth as an actor in things like Fargo and now Spider-Noir. Robertson’s plucky attitude and developing friendship with Reilly are feel-good highlights of episodes. Reilly’s assistant Janet, played by Karen Rodriguez, is also a breath of fresh air and is not only instrumental in his investigations, but she’s also the heart of their detective agency – thanks to the endearing performance from Rodriguez.
Prime Video has given fans a wonderful surprise with this risky but utterly unique comic book adaptation. Spider-Noir is an artistic blast and unlike almost anything you’ve seen before. Things occasionally get a little messy and maybe a little too weird, but this is truly one of those rare instances where the idea is just crazy enough to work.
Score: 4 out of 5