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Spider Baby

Spider Baby

Comedy · Horror · 1967

In a dilapidated rural mansion, the last generation of the degenerate, inbred Merrye family lives with the inherited curse of a disease that causes them to mentally regress from the age of 10 or so on as they physically develop. The family chauffeur looks out for them and covers up their indiscretions. Trouble comes when greedy distant relatives and their lawyer arrive to dispossess the family of its home.

Movie details

Spider Baby

“Come into my parlor, said the spider to the...”

1967 Comedy · Horror 1h 24m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.8 / 10

Community rating

In a dilapidated rural mansion, the last generation of the degenerate, inbred Merrye family lives with the inherited curse of a disease that causes them to mentally regress from the age of 10 or so on as they physically develop. The family chauffeur looks out for them and covers up their indiscretions. Trouble comes when greedy distant relatives and their lawyer arrive to dispossess the family of its home.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Spider Baby?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Jack Hill

Written by

Jack Hill

Lon Chaney Jr.

Lon Chaney Jr.

Bruno

Carol Ohmart

Carol Ohmart

Emily

Quinn K. Redeker

Quinn K. Redeker

Peter

Beverly Washburn

Beverly Washburn

Elizabeth

Jill Banner

Jill Banner

Virginia

Sid Haig

Sid Haig

Ralph

Mary Mitchel

Mary Mitchel

Ann

Court is in session

Put Spider Baby on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Arthouse Gremlin

“Its refusal to behave is the point.”

The strange choices create the kind of friction that follows you out of the theatre and into the argument.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Oddness is not depth.”

A film can break every rule and still leave nothing behind but the memory of how hard it tried to be singular.