Itsy Bitsy (2019)

Score: 4 / 5

This is no nursery rhyme.

With revamped creature features hitting the screens in recent years (Crawl, 47 Meters Down, The Shallows), it was only a matter of time somebody tried to revitalize the killer spider. Micah Gallo was that somebody, and his vision is one of pure terror. Itsy Bitsy concerns Kara (Elizabeth Roberts), a nurse and single mother of two, who relocates for a new job: a live-in nurse to an ailing archaeologist/sociologist/collector (I'm not sure we're ever told, but he's played by Bruce Davison). Of course one of his artifacts get broken by a crazed assistant, and out crawls a giant malevolent spider.

Thankfully, Gallo does not let his limited budget take control of his imagination and alter the tone of his film. This easily could have become a sort of Jumanji-meets-Sharknado mess of goofy, silly puppets and gags about suburban arachnophobia. Especially given that his main antagonist is apparently the embodiment of a vengeful spider-god to whom natives sacrificed their children, and the spider itself is brought to life with almost entirely practical effects. This could have been a disaster. Instead, it feels a little too real.

Indeed, Gallo removes all trace of humor from his film, making it sad and tense and unbearably grim. Atmospheric from the start -- a chilling opening sequence depicts the natives worshipping an Alien-esque giant black egg -- things only get creepier as a typical suburban house becomes the hunting ground for an eight-legged child-stalker. It's got a visceral, grounded charm that never quite wears off, and things never quite lighten up the melancholic mood. Thematically, the spider may be an extension of the actual villain of the story: Kara's sense of guilt at losing a child, and losing her husband as a result, seems to have her primed for a reset. She sorely needs one, as her addiction and anger issues threaten to alienate her from her two beautiful remaining children. More than once I felt she was her own villain; the spider is just set dressing. Very mobile set dressing.