Sting | Because Australia Has Loads Of Things That Kill You

Sting cast for the Australian horror movie released in 2024 includes many well-known local favorites. Noni Hazelhurst, Ryan Corr, Robyn Nevin, Danny Kim, and, Alcira Carpio will all delight fans of shows like Home and Away, Little Fish, Born to Spy, and movies like Wolf Creek 2. The new horror title is about a spider. Of course, there always has to be a twist, and the Sting film gets to work early on by not being your ordinary garden version of a spider.

If the cast of Sting isn’t going to impress you, plenty of other great actors and actresses are on board. Jermaine Fowler (Coming 2 America) appears as a pest exterminator who visits the block of flats where the pesky arachnid found its owner with the completely apt name of Charlotte. Silvia Colloca (Van Helsing) and Tony J Black are alongside Fowler.

Early reviews from the critics cite racially charged stereotypes, too much family drama, and a barely-there direction regarding its tonal baseline. A lot of user reviews on IMBd.com spray multiple offenses in accents from the small cast while commenting on the choice of location setting for the Australian movie. Set in Brooklyn, eagle-eyed critics pointed out a few prop mistakes during the run time too. Read a review by Bostonmovienews.com for another relevant take.

I’ll admit that the Sting creature feature film has an oddly weird feel. But I didn’t notice the fluency of the accents or lack thereof as much as others. My complaints lie in the tonal elements that left me wondering who the intended audience is. Charlotte’s brashness as a character frustrated me, despite knowing there was an appropriate amount of teen angst applied by the small star Alyla Browne (Nine Perfect Strangers.) The portrayal reminded me of a toned-down Becky who might have taken a spider under her wing, had she found one like the one in this title. She did a good job with the character, but that doesn’t make the character any less likable.

The family drama is strong for a movie aimed at the horror crowd and without the tension and bare-knuckled scares, Sting leans into the humor. Noni Hazelhurst plays a Sting cast favorite in Helga who offers up a comical forgetful senior lady who could’ve done with more screen time. Despite a strong presence from the exterminator, the remaining cast isn’t there long enough to care about which sucks out the anticipation of their demise. There are also pump action super soakers used in a war against the creepy crawlies and, a range of skeletal animal remains reveals that border on being funny rather than hair-raising.

Dialogue in Sting borders on painful, with a lot of what happens to feel half-done. I really liked the Cruella-addled slum lord sister of Helga. Gunter introduces a dog to the mix of potential victims. Sting attempts to push some of the more ostentatious movie fans’ boundaries and puts a baby at the center of the chaos too.

The idea of an alien spider should be commended for both its potential fandom and that it tried to be different. Having the spider cared for as a pet first reeks of the appeal of more popular creature features like Cujo or Aligator. In those films, a dog and a reptile both began their film existence as a beloved companion. I was slightly less enthusiastic about Charlotte’s ability to recognize what she had discovered as well as how she maintained her black eight-legged creature. In Sting, the arachnid appears after a timely weather event. Add to that an asteroid shower and the unrealistic nature is slowly stripped back making Charlotte’s decision-making a tad less annoying. But only slightly.

Sting is rated

3 flesh-eating critters that don’t like mothballs out of 5

Where to Watch the New Spider Movie, Sting

The title is known in Brazil under the alias Sting: Aranha Assassina.

Movie recommendation for a title with sharks, watch Under Paris on Netflix next. For another type of monster movie, watch Azrael 2024, Prey or Daddy’s Head as well.

Well Go USA released Sting in North American theatres in April. Australia let it crawl out to the public on July 11th, 2024. For more ways to watch Sting movies, check the links below from our affiliate partners, Justwatch.com.

Sting 2024 is streaming on: