Holy Spider

Following his Oscar-nominated fantasy Border, Denmark-based Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi takes an unflinching look at the misogyny and twisted sense of justice that plague his homeland with this serial killer procedural thriller. A fictional account of true events that occurred in the holy city of Mashhad, the film follows a working man who murders prostitutes in the name of “cleansing” the city, and a crusading female journalist (Cannes Best Actress winner Zar Amir Ebrahimi) who tries to uncover his identity. Even more chilling than the film’s graphic murder scenes is the public’s subsequent response to the brutal murders.