The 1985 Kiss of the Spider Woman won William Hurt his first Oscar for Best Actor, a film celebrated for its emotional depth, layered politics, and fragile humanity. Now, almost four decades later, director Bill Condon revisits the story in a big, glossy musical starring Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna, and Tonatiuh.
We at Glamsham watched the movie, and while it’s visually stunning, it’s also hard to feel much underneath all that glitter.
Set in a prison in a Latin American dictatorship, the story follows two cellmates, Molina (Tonatiuh), a gay window dresser imprisoned for “corruption of a minor,” and Valentín (Diego Luna), a political revolutionary. To escape the horrors of their confinement, Molina retells the story of a glamorous screen siren, the Spider Woman, played here by Jennifer Lopez. Through her, fantasy becomes a form of escape.
That mix of harsh reality and escapist cinema is what made the original so haunting. The new film tries to capture that contrast through elaborate musical numbers and dazzling production design, but it never really earns the emotion behind it. The sets and costumes shimmer, the choreography feels Broadway-level, and the cinematography glows with vintage Technicolor flair. But as soon as the music stops, so does the film’s pulse.
Lopez looks every bit the star, commanding the frame in every scene she’s in. But her performance feels too self-aware, too polished to move you. Critics have called this her most powerful performance yet, but we’d disagree. It’s glamorous, yes, but not transformative. The heart of the story belongs to Tonatiuh, who gives Molina real tenderness and heartbreak.
The Oscar buzz surrounding Lopez’s performance feels premature. It’s the kind of role designed for awards chatter, but it doesn’t carry the weight that past winners in this category have delivered.
Also Read: Jennifer Lopez Earns Early Oscar Buzz for Kiss of the Spider Woman But It’s Not That Simple
If you’re a surface-level fan of musicals, someone who just wants a visual feast, you might find Kiss of the Spider Woman enjoyable for its aesthetic value alone. But if you’re looking for something with the emotional richness of the original, you’ll be disappointed.
Verdict: Despite its ambition and spectacle, Kiss of the Spider Woman never quite captures the soul of its predecessor.
