KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN (2025) - Mark Reviews Movies

Kiss of the Spider Woman, Lionsgate

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Review by Mark Dujsik | October 9, 2025

Manuel Puig's 1976 novel about two inmates in a prison during the military dictatorship in Argentina still seems an odd source for a stage musical, but it was produced back in 1992 to some acclaim. Of course, the novel was first the inspiration for a 1985 film, and now, the story of Kiss of the Spider Woman returns to the big screen—this time as an adaptation of the musical.

That brings us back to the oddity of the concept, which might be a bit lessened by writer/director Bill Condon's approach to the material. There are the scenes in the prison here, in which the two inmates develop an unlikely bond—on multiple levels—and a mutual affection for each other, and for the most part, Condon keeps those scenes to themselves. This is a dark place of sickness, torture, dehumanization, and hopelessness, where the only light that matters is how these two characters find some humanity within and between themselves amidst it. To bring songs and dance into this place would be to undermine and surely betray the severity of that reality.

The singing and dancing, then, belongs almost exclusively to the world of fantasy that one prisoner attempts to create for the other as a means of temporary escape. Those who know any version of the story, of course, will know that world is one of remembered movies, and the dichotomy Condon establishes and mostly maintains here between reality and fantasy possesses a certain inescapable influence in this adaptation. We are watching a movie, after all, and as simple and even simplistic as that may sound, the medium itself forces us to consider and reckon with the illusion at the center of this musical on a simple, emotional level.

It doesn't entirely succeed, especially as the world of the recalled movie and the incredibly harsh one of the prison collide, begin to merge, and try to communicate with each other in some ways. For a film with as a significant-seeming an obstacle in front of this one, though, it is, surprisingly, effective and affecting.

Much of that can be chalked up to the two lead performances from Diego Luna, as political prisoner Valentin, and Tonatiuh, as the movie-loving inmate Molina. The two actors are so convincing, creating such a sincere portrayal of the unique relationship that develops between these characters, that it's almost a disappointment when the film has to cut to literally showstopping musical numbers of the fantasy realm.

The best that can be said of those is that they are fine for doing exactly what they need to do within the context of the prison story and nothing more. Jennifer Lopez plays the lead character in a romantic adventure from some other time, as well as the mysterious and deadly Spider Woman who comes between that story's two lovers, and as a figure of beauty and strength and beguiling charm, she is also just fine. It's a difficult performance to assess, simply because it exists in a world that is intentionally separate from the real core of the narrative.

That belongs to Valentin, who has been arrested for his participation in a revolutionary group trying to take down the dictatorship, and Molina, a gay man convicted of indecent exposure in public with another man. Both of these characters are complex creations, even with some of the edges smoothed out from even the '85 film.

Valentin seems a straightforward rebel, determined to endure his imprisonment with a strong will and without giving up any information about his fellow revolutionaries. His first response to witnessing guards mock and abuse Molina for his sexuality and his somewhat-fluid gender identity is to assert that his cellmate should see himself as a man as a source of pride. As the two spend more time together, though, Valentin reveals a far more vulnerable, insecure, and compassionate side of himself, while having some of his prejudices and assumptions challenged.

As for Molina, he finds himself challenged in a few ways, too. The most pressing test is that he is serving as an informant for the prison's warden (played by Bruno Bichir), who wants information from Valentin, and could obtain an early release if he cooperates. Molina is apolitical, despite his own persecution by the government, and would rather think about things like the old movies he grew up watching. Witnessing Valentin's dedication to his cause makes Molina reassess all of that.

With that tale and these characters and this relationship being portrayed with genuine passion, is it any wonder, then, that the film's biggest challenge becomes how it handles the musical scenes? The narrative and stylistic separation certainly keeps them within the scope of pure fantasy, even as Luna and Tonatiuh play other characters in the movie within the film, so those sequences never belittle seriousness of the prison drama. Condon is smart, too, in how, when, and why he allows the film's two worlds to bleed together on occasion, mainly as Molina finds that desire to escape reality more difficult to maintain with so much to suddenly care about in the real world.

Yes, it is strange to watch a musical and constantly think the material would be much better without, well, the song-and-dance, but Kiss of the Spider Woman is an intrinsically strange proposition as a musical in the first place. The heart of the story, though, remains quite strong, so while the musical elements can be and increasingly become a distraction, they're not enough to undercut what works quite well in the film.

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