Shudder Secrets: Infested

If you simply read the synopsis for Infested, you might think you’re going to get a cheesy and perhaps funny B movie, a-la Eight Legged Freaks or even Tarantula. However, director Sébastien Vanicek’s feature debut is much, much more than that. It’s an intense, nerve-jangling movie with downright menacing venomous spiders. I’ll go as far to say it’s one of the most suspenseful films I’ve seen all year, with sequence after sequence that’s pulse-pounding. I couldn’t imagine watching this one if I had arachnophobia. These spiders are nasty little critters that aren’t messing around.

More importantly, Vanicek’s French film has a smart social commentary about Otherness. On the one hand, the commentary isn’t pedantic, but it’s ever-present. Infested is a not-so-subtle metaphor for those on the margins that those in power, including police want to eradicate. This is what elevates Infested beyond your standard late night creature feature.

Infested’s Gnarly Spiders Steal the Show

Now, while Infested is indeed a social commentary, it’s also, well, a movie about killer spiders. And let’s be honest, many will come to this one to see some arachnids cause mayhem and build a body count. They won’t be disappointed. The film opens in Dubai, as a team tries to terminate the spiders, but within minutes, they crawl out of a hole and don’t take too long disposing of the team.

Eventually, one of the spiders ends up in the hands of Kaleb (Théo Christine). He purchases it from a friend. Kaleb, who makes a living selling sneakers illegally, dreams of building his own reptile zoo one day. His bedroom is filled with all sorts of buggies. His reasons for doing this are quite noble, too. He wants to offer something positive to children in the neighborhood, to give them something he didn’t have growing up.

Of course, everyone knows what’s going to happen. The spider Kaleb keeps for his growing collection doesn’t stay in place for long. It soon escapes. Somehow, these spiders multiply and multiply and grow larger and larger. Eventually, they take over the block apartment complex Kaleb lives in with his sister, Manon (Lisa Nyarko).

Once the spiders expand in number, like a creepy, crawly army, Infested moves at a breakneck pace. There are several unnerving scenes here. Spiders creep along the walls. They emerge from shower drains. They hide in bath towels and shoes, and they overtake just about every single room of the apartment complex, building thick, cocoon-like webs everywhere. One scene involving a hallway and multiple spiders is the most nail-biting sequence I’ve seen in any film so far this year. Those looking for gnarly killer spider action will not be disappointed.

Infested’s Social Commentary on Immigration

Infested also makes a pretty obvious commentary about immigration and Otherness. Kaleb, Manon, and several other tenants are seen as less than, including by other residents. One even traffics in racial stereotypes and is just sure that Kaleb sells drugs. Why? I don’t know, because of the color of his skin, maybe? The accusation is baseless, but all of this heightens the tension of an already pulse-pounding film.

Meanwhile, the police lock the tenants in the apartment complex once the infestation begins. The police don’t seem to care if the spiders kill everyone in there, including many of whom are of Arab or African descent. Police brutality is ever-present and the very idea of eradication. It’s no surprise that this film was named Vermines. This type of terminology was used by the Nazis. Tenants like Kaleb and those closest to him are seen as pests by those constantly willing to inflict verbal or physical abuse upon them.

All of this reflects a global resurgence of extreme right-wing populism, including in Europe and even in the U.S., where immigration has become an increasingly hot button issue. In Europe, extreme parties are set to make major gains in the EU’s parliamentary elections. In the U.S., Trump has made the border a central campaign issue again and even used the term “vermin” recently. Likely, he knew the term’s ugly historical context. This is why Infested feels so relevant right now. It’s more than a spider movie. It captures the debate over immigration and the increasing attacks against those deemed Other by a threatened white majority.

Infested features top-notch suspense. It’s one of the best spider movies in recent memory, and it contains important social commentary that doesn’t distract from the well, killer spiders. While the ending doesn’t quite stick the landing and feels a bit rushed, the rest of the film is near flawless and one heck of a debut.

The movie streams on Shudder beginning April 26. Its definitely one of their best films so far this year.