First reviews for "Spider-Noir" with Nicolas Cage are out - the show premiered with 89% on Rotten Tomatoes

The first reviews for the series "Spider-Noir," starring Nicolas Cage, have appeared online. The specialized press mostly gave a positive reception to the joint project by Sony and Amazon: at the time of publication, the show had an 89% "freshness" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 37 reviews, and on Metacritic, the project holds 71 out of 100 points after 15 reviews.

Critics almost unanimously name the visual style as the main advantage of the adaptation. The creators managed to recreate the atmosphere of classic noir detectives of the 1930s with contrasting light, deep shadows, cigarette smoke, and theatrical angles. IGN praised the series for combining the aesthetics of pulp fiction, noir, and comic book conventions, while GamesRadar+ described the project as a deliberately kitschy adventure through Depression-era New York.

Nicolas Cage, who played Ben Reilly – an aging private detective and superhero – also received a lot of attention. His acting performance divided critics: some called the portrayal "absolute perfection," while others considered Cage's performance overly eccentric and inorganic. However, most reviewers agree that a lion's share of the show's charm rests on the actor's charisma.

The main criticism of the series is directed at the script and the project's assembly. According to the press, behind the impressive visual shell lies a standard story about a dark avenger. Variety called the show "beautifully boring," and The Hollywood Reporter reviewer complained about the sagging pace of the narrative, which could not be maintained throughout all eight episodes.

In addition, THR noted an important nuance: the series was originally created with a black-and-white picture in mind, so in monochrome, the visual effects look great, whereas in the color version, the graphics seem "frankly ugly."

All eight episodes of "Spider-Noir" will be released on Prime Video on May 27.