--- title: "Spider-Noir: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/spider-noir/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/spider-noir" critics_score: 64 critics_reviews: 7 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Spider-Noir (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 64 from 7 reviews: 5 positive, 0 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics like Spider-Noir, and the praise clusters almost entirely on Nicolas Cage. Review after review describes his world-weary private eye as the reason to watch: mannered, sarcastic, silly, and well matched to a series more interested in trench coats and cigarette smoke than in tights. The period detail draws steady approval too, from the rat-a-tat dialogue to the shadows and art-deco surfaces, with several reviews calling it a labour of love that turns out better than the concept promised. The reservations are about the plotting. Even admirers mention weak villains, uneven tone and genre shifts that do not land. The spread is wide rather than narrow. The two dissenters, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, find the storytelling dull and repetitive, arguing that the show borrows the look of vintage gumshoe drama without adding much beneath it, and that it plays too safe to earn the noir label. ## Radio Times Rating 4/5. 22 May 2026. Nicolas Cage is pitch-perfect as the grizzled lead in this enjoyable if frivolous retro Marvel spin-off. The well-realised noir style and strong sense of the period make it a labour of love that exceeds expectations for the concept. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/nicolas-cage-spider-noir-review/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2026. The series is a stylish, fast and witty homage to 1940s hard-boiled noir, full of shadows, cigarette smoke and sharp banter, with Nicolas Cage's mannered performance fitting the highly stylised world. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/may/27/spider-noir-review-nicolas-cages-stylish-take-on-the-superhero-as-a-1940s-detective-is-huge-fun) ## The Telegraph — Ed Power Rating 4/5. 27 May 2026. Cage channels Humphrey Bogart and Bugs Bunny as a world-weary PI in a fun mash-up of vintage gumshoe film and superhero spin-off that prefers retro detective clichés over tights. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2026/05/27/spider-noir-amazon-prime-video-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2026. The show is an inconsistent disappointment with frustratingly dull storytelling that cribs from vintage gumshoe dramas while adding little, though the cast is strong and Cage gets to be fully weird in the second half. It is occasionally a hoot but requires wading through nondescript material. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/spider-noir-review-nicolas-cage-amazon-1236603901/) ## Variety — Aramide Tinubu Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2026. The series is beautifully shot in color and black-and-white but ultimately a lackluster, repetitive and predictable vigilante tale with little substance beneath its stylish 1930s surface. It plays it far too safe and fails to capture true noir decadence. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2026/tv/reviews/spider-noir-review-prime-video-nicolas-cage-1236756324/) ## Empire — Alex Godfrey 22 May 2026. The series is an absurdly brilliant, brilliantly absurd concoction of film noir and superhero elements with rat-a-tat dialogue and a wall-to-wall cast of private dicks, shady dames and super-villains. Nicolas Cage's lead performance is the standout, delivering a big swing that pays off from start to finish. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/spider-noir/) ## NME — Alex Flood Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2026. The critic praises Nicolas Cage's sarcastic, witty, and silly performance as the down-on-his-luck PI Ben Reilly/The Spider in this campy art-deco 1930s detective series. It highlights the fun to be had despite occasional issues with action stunts. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/spider-noir-review-nicolas-cage-3946959) ## Collider — Aidan Kelley Rating 7/10. 22 May 2026. The critic calls it a fun pulpy throwback to vintage superhero capers, highlighting Cage's charismatic lead performance and strong supporting cast while noting some tonal inconsistency and weaker villains. [Read the review](https://collider.com/spider-noir-review-nicolas-cage-prime-video/) ## Den of Geek — Joe George Rating 4 out of 5. 25 May 2026. The critic finds it a delightful hard-boiled TV series faithful to noir and comics. Praises Cage's performance and clear storytelling, but notes some missteps with mad scientists and genre shifts. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/spider-noir-review-spider-man-does-whatever-bogie-can/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/spider-noir.md