Female journalist Arezoo Rahimi (Zar Amir-Ebrahimi, White Paradise) travels to the Iranian holy city of Mashhad to investigate a serial killer targeting sex workers. As she draws closer to exposing his crimes, the opportunity for justice grows harder to attain when the murderer is embraced by many as a hero. Based on the true story of the ‘Spider Killer’ Saeed Hanaei (Mehdi Bajestani, ‘Whisper”), who saw himself as on a mission from God as he killed 16 women between 2000 and 2001.

For in-depth thoughts on Holy Spider, please see my colleague Devin McGrath-Conwell’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

Holy Spider debuts on Blu-Ray courtesy of Utopia in its 2.39:1 aspect ratio with a terrific 1080p video presentation that captures the gritty, visceral nature of this narrative. The image is stable and clean with the dour color palette resolving well, as this is not a world suited for eye-popping hues. The film provides the occasional moments of bold colors within the lighting, costumes, and certain elements of the environment. The encode reveals nearly nothing in the way of compression artifacts or macroblocking.

The presentation provides a fine amount of depth on display, especially in the interior shots. The production design along with the fabrics of the clothing provide rich textural details. Highlights are controlled well with no instances of blooming to be found. The black levels are deep with very little in the way of crush or banding. Flesh tones are natural with an appreciable amount of detail present in close-ups. The film can be difficult to watch, but this is an aesthetically pleasing presentation.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray provides a great DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original Persian with optional English subtitles provided. The environmental sounds of the world engage the speakers in subtle yet narratively effective ways. When the characters are roaming throughout the city, there are some distinct ambient details that flesh out the setting in a sonically rewarding manner. A handful of sound effects engage the low end in a way that provides some appreciable texture to the proceedings. Dialogue is the centerpiece of the film, and it comes through clearly without being overwhelmed by competing sounds. The score is well-balanced and maintains its fidelity as it establishes a menacing atmosphere. There does not appear to be any notable deficiencies when it comes to how the sound was captured or its presentation on this disc.

Special Features

Q&A with Director Ali Abbasi, moderated by Ana Lily Amirpour: A 24-minute virtual interview with Abbasi moderated by Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night) in which the pair hit upon the personal nature of their Iranian heritage, the horrors that they have seen and why it was important to depict it on screen, the larger intentions behind the film, the performances in the film and what they sacrificed by appearing in this film, and much more that provides great context for this feature.

Q&A with moderator Reza Safai at Laemmle Town Center: A 41-minute Q&A moderated by director/actor Reza Sixo Safai who begins by giving context to the current societal state of Iran before talking to star Zar Amir-Ebrahimi about her connection to this material, the experience of shooting the film, the direction of Ali Abbasi, developing the background of her character and more.

Q&A at IFC Center with Ali Abbasi: A 39-minute Q&A moderated by Indiewire’s David Ehrlich in which the director discusses his memories of the real-life murders before he left Iran, the “truth is stranger than fiction” nature of the story, developing the fictional characters for the movie, his attempt to tell this story responsibly and more.

Interview with Director Ali Abbasi: A 28-minute interview with Abbasi in which he reflects on his experiences making this film, the complications surrounding this project, his motivations for making this movie, establishing the aesthetic of the film and more.

Interview with Producer Jacob Jarek: A 20-minute interview with Jarek in which he shares his thoughts and experiences making the film, the obstacles that they needed to overcome to make this film a reality, the impact of COVID, the attempts to shoot in Iran, the importance of having someone from the Iranian culture telling this story and more.

Interview with Actor Mehdi Bajestani: A nine-minute interview with the lead actor that is not spoken in English and is not provided with English subtitles.

Interview with Producer Sol Bondy: A 17-minute interview with Bondy who discusses how he became involved with this project, taking on more responsibilities than initially planned, finding the right place to shoot the film, why this film could not be made in Iran and more.

Interview with Actor Zar Amir Ebrahimi: A 27-minute interview with the lead actress in which she discusses her experiences in Iran, the additional roles she took on to make this movie happen, what she discovered about her character throughout the movie and more.

Final Thoughts

Holy Spider is a vital yet incredibly tough viewing experience that puts a spotlight on a cultural belief and attitude that is poisonous to humanity. Director Ali Abbasi attempts to delicately yet honestly explore the horrors that these women experienced both when they were killed and when they were harmed a second time by an uncaring society. He occasionally stumbles when it comes to honoring the point of view that deserves a greater portion of the spotlight, but you cannot deny the effectiveness of this effort. Utopia has released a Blu-Ray featuring a fantastic A/V presentation and a deep array of special features. If you are aware of the darkness of this journey and still feel prepared to embark upon it, you will find an incredibly potent piece of filmmaking. Recommended

Holy Spider will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on August 15, 2023.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Utopia has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.