THE STORY – An aging and down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero.
THE CAST – Nicolas Cage, Lamorne Morris, Li Jun Li, Karen Rodriguez, Abraham Popoola, Jack Huston & Brendan Gleeson
THE TEAM – Oren Uziel & Steve Lightfoot (Showrunners/Writers)
When Nicolas Cage first lent his voice to the character of “Spider-Man Noir” in the animated “Spider-Verse” films, few expected either audiences or Cage himself to become so enamored with the character. A scene-stealing variant pulled from an alternate 1930s universe, he was a web-crawling defender clad in thick goggles, a fedora, and a massive leather trench coat. Fast-forward a few years, and Cage, who is set to reprise the role in “Beyond the Spider-Verse,” is finally stepping beyond voice work to once again play a Marvel superhero in live-action. Out of all the underwhelming results ushered in by the multiverse era of superhero storytelling, it’s refreshing to say that “Spider-Noir” is one of the few projects that actually justifies the concept, while also giving Cage the chance to go full throttle (not that he’s capable of doing anything else) in one of his most entertaining performances in recent memory.
In “Spider-Noir,” Cage’s Ben Reilly, “The Spider” of his universe, has long stepped away from being New York’s protector following the loss of someone dear to him. Now reduced to a disillusioned private eye, he spends his days trying to keep the lights on in his tiny office and his glass filled. Meanwhile, in the five years since his disappearance, crime boss Silvermane, played by Brendan Gleeson, has taken advantage of the city’s power vacuum to expand his prohibition rackets while tightening his grip over the police and political systems. Things begin to unravel with the arrival of Li Jun Li’s Cat Hardy, known to comic fans as Black Cat, though here reimagined as a lounge singer and femme fatale who hires Ben to investigate a missing-person case. Like all great noirs, however, the case quickly spirals into something far larger than its original premise. Super-powered heavies, money, corruption, and perhaps even a new lease on life all suddenly become part of the equation for Ben in a case that pushes the limits of the iconic Spider-Man ethos, or as he puts it here: “With no power comes no responsibility.”
If anything, throughout the first season of “Spider-Noir,” it becomes abundantly clear that Cage has entered a kind of performance nirvana, finally getting to fully indulge in a genre so perfectly suited to both his sensibilities and his well-known love of classic cinema. Cage leans heavily into the mannerisms of Hollywood legends like Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney, adopting a distinctly old-school New York accent with the non-rhotic delivery associated with performers of that era. But the homage also becomes a Trojan horse, allowing Cage to inject his signature brand of theatricality into the performance. The result is a Ben Reilly who feels equal parts Bogie and Bugs Bunny, a quality Cage himself has cited as an inspiration for the role. There’s a careful balance between weathered melancholy and manic exuberance that makes every exaggerated physical tic or bizarre line delivery land beautifully. Every creative choice Cage makes only amplifies the absolute riot he becomes throughout “Spider-Noir.”
It also helps that Cage is surrounded by a strong supporting trio, as Lamorne Morris’s Robbie Robertson and Karen Rodriguez’s Janet Ruiz consistently elevate the material with punchy dialogue straight out of classic noir films. Morris makes the most of his screen time as Ben’s loyal ally, a reporter desperate to establish himself as a serious journalist. Rodriguez, meanwhile, emerges as the emotional heartbeat of the series, putting a fresh spin on the secretary archetype while clearly operating several steps ahead of everyone around her, essentially becoming the Marvel equivalent of Effie Perine to Ben Reilly’s Sam Spade. Both actors are as compelling as Li Jun Li, fresh off “Sinners,” who perfectly captures the sultry, shadowy mystique essential to any great femme fatale, even if some overly explicit character motivations occasionally weaken the enigmatic aura Cat Hardy works so hard to maintain.
The series’s deep reverence for film noir occasionally comes at a cost, particularly in the back half of the season, where the narrative’s inevitability becomes more obvious through its strict adherence to genre conventions. The superhero elements sometimes clash awkwardly with the fatalistic melancholy that hangs over both Ben and the larger story, especially since the audience already knows where the narrative is likely to go. Still, the period recreation remains outstanding, with the costume and production design doing enormous work in bringing showrunners Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot’s vision to life. Darran Tiernan and Peter Deming’s cinematography is equally essential in establishing the atmosphere of “Spider-Noir,” particularly when audiences watch the series in black and white.
The show also offers a colorized alternative, titled “True-Hue Full Color,” for viewers unwilling to fully immerse themselves in the monochromatic visual world associated with classic noir cinema. While the viewing for this review was primarily in black and white, the colorized version remains surprisingly effective, avoiding the dull, desaturated digital look that plagues many contemporary productions. Still, it pales in comparison to the richly textured black-and-white presentation, around which the series was clearly designed, lit, and composed. The “True-Hue” version does at least allow audiences to appreciate the vibrant costume work. However, it also makes some of the visual effects appear far more noticeable, occasionally pushing the overall aesthetic closer to high-end fan-film territory.
Even so, “Spider-Noir” remains an impressively successful debut season that only further confirms how enjoyable it is to watch Nicolas Cage completely unleash himself as a bent-out-of-shape private investigator wandering through a smoky, crime-ridden city. The series may stumble occasionally beneath the weight of its genre worship and uneven plotting. Still, when Cage is fully locked in, trench coat flowing and voice growling through another hard-boiled monologue, it’s difficult not to wish this strange, stylish experiment could continue for years to come.
THE GOOD – “Spider-Noir” is an enjoyable and effective display of noir pastiche, with a solid ensemble led by a Nicolas Cage performance that encapsulates everything we love about him as a performer. The costuming, production design, and cinematography by Darran Tiernan and Peter Deming all help immerse audiences.
THE BAD – Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot’s writing and dedication to film noir are marred by the often simplistic storytelling and spotty special effects.
THE EMMY PROSPECTS – Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (One Hour) & Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Period Costumes
THE FINAL SCORE – 7/10
