Film Review: KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN (2025): Solid Performances and Peppy Musical Numbers Elevate an Otherwise Flat Remake

Kiss of the Spider Woman Review

Kiss of the Spider Woman (2025) Film Review, a movie directed by Bill Condon, written by Terrence McNally, Manuel Puig and Bill Condon and starring Diego Luna, Tonatiuh, Jennifer Lopez, Bruno Bichir, Josefina Scaglione, Aline Mayagoitia, Driton ‘Tony’ Dovolani, Lucila Gandolfo and Graciela Daniele.

Filmmaker Bill Condon has always been able to breathe life into film adaptations of musicals and in the latest adaptation of Kiss of the Spider Woman, Condon employs a terrific cast. There is not a false note in the two main male performances. However, this film basically exists for Jennifer Lopez’s titular turn in the fantasy scenes within the film where the legendary performer portrays a movie star known as Ingrid Luna. Though the new picture alternates back and forth with scenes between two imprisoned men sprinkled in with old-fashioned dance numbers featuring Lopez, it only really works in spurts at times. There’s too much going on in the imaginary sequences and too little going on in the jail cell. This may feel like a harsh criticism, but I don’t think the main characters change much at the end of the picture which hurts the structure of the film as a whole. That being said, the costumes are gorgeous, and the performances really stand out as exceptional in an otherwise meandering film.

Set in the early 1980’s within the Dirty War time period in Argentina, Tonatiuh shines as Luis Molina, a passionate prisoner who is a former hairdresser sharing a cell with the very serious politically minded, Valentin Arregui (Diego Luna). One is more of a criminal than the other, if you examine their histories, but they’ve both found themselves behind bars for various reasons. These two men are complete opposites, but Molina tends to jazz up his stories to Arregui as Molina is fixated on Ingrid Luna who looks great on a poster and even better in images that bring the stories Molina spins to life.

As we first meet Lopez’s character, the scenes seem flat, lacking a genuine consistent vibe and they occasionally feel forced. That all changes by the time Lopez’s Ingrid Luna moves and grooves in various ways which Condon sublimely captures in the extra special dance sequences which are set against the backdrop of a few catchy tunes. When we’re back in the jail cell, Molina and Arregui start forging a genuine bond that derives from Molina’s passionate account of the tales of the so-called “Spider Woman” that Lopez so beautifully embodies.

Maybe the structure of the film is purposefully awkward to show the powerful connection that Molina and Arregui form together. By starting off solemn and dull, Diego Luna masterfully conveys a true character transformation over the course of the film. Ditto Tonatiuh in terms of capturing the changes his own character undergoes. These two performers play off each other like a well-oiled machine with nuanced reactions and believable on-screen chemistry. Yet, because of the threadbare plot, we’re stuck in a rut as there’s only so much that can be done behind bars without the magic of Ingrid Luna’s performances stirring up a sense of hope for Molina who may have more of a future ahead of him when juxtaposed to the more unfortunate character of Arregui.

Tonatiuh gets some of the film’s biggest laughs with his one-liners which piss Diego Luna’s Arregui off and then some. As the movie digs deeper into the Jennifer Lopez scenes by developing her character through song and dance, the picture scores big points. Lopez does it up in some of the best costumes of the years, wearing a top hat at one point and a wig or two here and there that make the movie a contender for both the Best Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar and the Best Costume Design category as well.

If Lopez didn’t shine so bright, the characters of Arregui and Molina would feel like lost souls. Instead, they come to life near the end of the movie as tragedy looms over their heads. Molina has hope in his veins which is quickly tarnished as his dreams to prosper and feel free again may just be that – dreams.  Tonatiuh has a charisma about himself that makes him immensely likable so when the ending arrives, it’s not only heartbreaking, but disappointing from a cinematic standpoint. While one can’t change the source material too much, the film is a far cry from the masterpiece that was 1985’s Kiss of the Spider Woman for which William Hurt won a Best Actor Academy Award. That film had so much depth and even though the actors are good here, some of the scenes play so lightly that the movie feels like a comedy at times, lacking the dramatic edge that made the 1985 film so powerful. Condon’s pacing is also inconsistent as it goes back and forth between dull scenes and lively ones. That could be the point, but tighter editing would have improved the overall feel of the film significantly.

As the new picture meanders frequently, it is ultimately salvaged by the song and dance numbers which will keep audiences on their toes. Jennifer Lopez is a national treasure and her work in this picture should not be overlooked for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination. Consequently, Tonatiuh is a star to be reckoned with and his scenes with Diego Luna get more substantial the more the story line plays out. There are some familiar elements, though. Of course, they don’t get along at first. Of course, they will learn the secret to a powerful friendship. Kiss of the Spider Woman isn’t doing anything significantly new. It’s a song and dance film for part of the running time and a story of two men who got the raw end of the stick in life. The fantasy scenes offer hope for the parts grounded in reality and there are enough showstopping numbers to make this film garner a marginal recommendation.

Rating: 7/10

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