Spider-Noir Series Review. An Unconventional Take on the Spider-Man Universe

Spider-Noir premiered on Amazon Prime — a fresh, distinctive take on Spider-Man set in a noir universe. The first season was well received by both critics and general viewers, though the project still isn't perfect. In this review (no spoilers), we'll talk about how the new take on one of the most popular superheroes turned out.

The series is soaked to the bone in noir atmosphere and all the genre's signature trappings: there's a moment of the protagonist's voiceover monologue, panoramas of nighttime New York streets with neon signs reflecting off asphalt slicked by endless rain, a striking play of light and shadow, blues music, and characters knocking back liters of bootleg whiskey. Bootleg, specifically, because the events unfold in an alternate 1930s America during the Great Depression, where Prohibition is still in force but racial segregation is not.

A modest World War I veteran and private detective, Ben Riley (Nicolas Cage), whose agency is barely staying afloat, gets pulled into a war between mob boss Silvermane (Brendan Gleeson) and the city's mayor, Morris. The criminal business thrives on the liquor trade, and the mayor, if re-elected for a second term, promises to repeal Prohibition. During the election race, Silvermane puts up his own candidate, but his odds of winning are rapidly dropping. And the crime boss himself is gradually losing his grip on the city. It's all thanks to a failed but still very real attempt on his life. The mere fact that someone dared to try it deals a heavy blow to the reputation of this influential, though no longer young, gangster. Even the corrupt police chief McNamara then decides to side with the mayor, and without police backing, Silvermane's chances of staying in power keep falling.

To find out who's behind the assassination attempt, the crime boss turns to Ben's detective agency for help, since he doesn't trust his own men. Mr. Riley accepts the offer, even though five years ago he himself fought against Silvermane's criminal syndicate. Few people know it, but he's the superhero the press dubbed "The Spider." Or rather, he was — until his fiancée died. Ben blames himself for that tragedy and, having left his heroics behind, just drifts along, periodically trying to numb himself by draining glass after glass of cheap whiskey.

This take on Spider-Man is drastically different from the usual one. Aging detective Ben Riley, unlike schoolboy Peter Parker, isn't happy about his superpowers — quite the opposite, he dreams of getting rid of them. But circumstances force him to dust off the costume and confront new, dangerous enemies terrorizing New York. In fighting them, Ben is utterly ruthless, and in the heat of battle he can easily send a handful of enemies to the afterlife — something that would be unthinkable for his counterparts from neighboring universes.

The action scenes follow the canons of the "spider" franchise. Accordingly, confrontations with colorful supervillains are always accompanied by millions of dollars in damage to city property. Still, it's worth noting there aren't actually that many combat scenes involving the protagonist. This isn't purely a superhero action show, after all. It's more of a noir detective thriller with a strongly comedic streak, which, surprisingly, smooths over most of the show's flaws.

One of the show's most noticeable shortcomings is how stock its noir characters are. Beyond the ones already listed — the old-school gangster, the corrupt police chief, and the honest mayor — Riley runs into a femme fatale who sings in a nightclub, a couple of dim-witted goons, and a creepy doctor. Helping him with his investigations are a sassy but good-natured secretary and a nimble journalist who always turns up in the middle of sensational events.

This set of stock characters combined with formulaic writing could be considered a flaw, but the thing is, it's all delivered with a hefty dose of self-irony. And, oddly enough, that's enough to smooth over all the rough edges. Plus, watching Spider-Noir is a good reminder that Nicolas Cage is an outstanding actor with unmatched charisma: he shines both in the dramatic episodes and in the comedic ones. The duo of Cage and Gleeson is especially well done: their verbal duels come across as genuinely funny. It's worth noting that the lead actor wasn't cast by accident, by the way — Nicolas Cage previously voiced the noir Spider-Man in the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. That project is definitely worth checking out, as is its sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Spider-Noir came out in two versions — black-and-white and color. Which one to watch is a matter of personal taste. Personally, I feel the black-and-white version only occasionally recalls the noir detective films of the '40s and '50s: in the classic films, the lighting work was executed far more skillfully. Plus, that long-gone era can be considered the peak of black-and-white cinema. Accordingly, noir classics look somewhat fake in color — take, for example, the colorized version of Casablanca.

With Spider-Noir, it's the opposite — this is a modern project whose visual style is closer to the superhero neo-noir of the '90s, like The Shadow or Darkman. So there's no real need for black-and-white tones here: in color, the show's lighthearted tone comes across better, as do some of the sets and costumes, not to mention the action scenes.

Peter Parker's origin story as a superhero has picked up an enormous number of different interpretations over the franchise's lifetime. Spider-Noir is one of the best, despite the clichés. The anti-hero image of Ben Riley contrasts sharply with the usual Spider-Man portrayals and feels quite original within the franchise. And thanks to the comedic element, all eight episodes go by incredibly easily. If you're a fan of the "spider" universes or noir style, this show definitely shouldn't be skipped. If you were hoping for a serious detective plot, though, the project might disappoint you. Either way, check out other anticipated movies and TV shows of 2026 — that piece also covers some projects you might have missed.