“Holy Spider” presents a disturbing crime thriller rooted in the true account of Saeed Hanaei, known as the “Spider Killer,” who murdered 16 female sex workers in Iran during the early 2000s. It’s a disquieting exploration of how religion, culture, social standing, and sexism intertwine, and despite director Ali Abbasi occasionally venturing into graphic territory, it remains a genuinely unsettling film with a dishea…

A number of women turn up dead near the road within a short timeframe, leaving law enforcement perplexed. These victims haven't been sexually assaulted; instead, they were strangled with knots tied in their headscarves. Doubting that authorities are doing all they can, reporter "Rahimi" (Zar Amir-Ebrahimi) sets out to uncover the truth. Simultaneously, we observe the everyday existence of taxi driver "Saeed" (Mehdi B…