Wyrmwood movie series director, Kiah Roache-Turner, has confronted one of his deepest fears in his latest horror indie film, Sting. The ‘creature feature’ follows 12-year-old rebellious Charlotte (Alyla Browne) after she discovers a strange spider that emerged from a foreign egg. What begins as an initial fascination with her new pet quickly evolves into a long fight for survival.

Browne’s Charlotte is the kind of young character that makes horror films like Sting work so well. She is energetic and curious with just enough 12-year-old sass to capture your heart. [Browne plays her character with such infectious charm.] Charlotte lives in an apartment building with her loving mother Heather (Penelope Mitchell), stepfather Ethan (Ryan Corr), and baby brother.

Just down the hall lives her grandmother Helga (Noni Hazlehurst) in addition to a range of eclectic characters with their own backstories. To cope with her loneliness, Charlotte indulges in comic books, especially the one she co-created with Ethan. However, it’s not enough to subside her feelings of isolation, especially with her parents’ hectic work schedules and their focus on the baby. As a result, she turns to Sting, her pet spider with an insatiable, blood-lusting appetite and who seemingly grows at an enormous rate.

Roache-Turner’s zany script is balanced with an emotional family story.

It would be all too easy after watching Sting to call it yet another monster movie that leans into the farfetched and silliness. And while that may be true, just about everything in the film works. In addition, underneath its campy horror-comedy vibes lies an emotional human story about a child’s feeling of abandonment. Charlotte’s biological father left on a trip overseas only to never return again, resulting in psychological and emotional trauma for the 12-year-old.

Roache-Turner took this dark concept and had some fun with it by enabling Charlotte to turn to a killer spider to overcome her loneliness. With his zany script, we meet a plethora of eccentric characters, and we’re treated to some delightful humor. In between, there are plenty of ferociously bloody kills scattered within creative sequences that feel just right. A crowd pleaser in all the right moments, Sting is the kind of horror film you watch in a packed theater full of fellow horror fans.

Sting’s setting is perfect for inducing anxiety & fear.

Roache-Turner’s direction is also something to look forward to heading into his terrorizing feature. With all the traditional horror elements in place, you can expect classic jump scares and creepy moments that are bound to send chills down your spine. Additionally, his direction cleverly plays mind games with his viewers, giving you a claustrophobic feeling thanks to the film setup. Taking place in a single location (an apartment complex), this setting facilitates our growing anxiety and fear just as the spider grows in size. One can’t help but to accept the scary journey that the film lays out for you.

Ultimately, Sting is what I would refer to as good-ole fashioned, campy horror fun. Director Roache-Turner isn’t afraid to let loose in his directional style and choices with tense camera moments, while also adding levity to the script. The best part of this aspect is this tone never feels inappropriate nor does it create knee-jerking shifts when some of the more serious moments arrive. It is clear that the creative team behind Sting has a passion for entertaining. That is what they set out to accomplish, and they’ve exceeded my expectations.

Check out the trailer for Sting below: