Set in Argentina in 1983, this is a musical reimagining of the mid-1980s Oscar-winning film, centred on Valentin (Diego Luna), a political dissident imprisoned during a time of repression. Into his cell comes a very different kind of character, Tonatiuh (Luis Molina) – someone far less serious, far less politically engaged, and instead completely absorbed in the world of old Hollywood cinema. He begins recounting the story of a glamorous film – the ‘Spider Woman’ – and gradually intertwines that narrative with their own lived experience.

In some ways, this feels like a redundant move. The original film was so powerful precisely because it relied on the imagination, allowing us to visualize these cinematic fantasies rather than see them fully realised. Here, those imagined sequences are brought vividly to life through stylised musical numbers, with Jennifer Lopez as the titular Spider Woman. These technicolour, heightened sequences provide a striking contrast to the bleak, drained reality of the prison cell.

However, it’s not always clear that these two worlds fully cohere. The juxtaposition is visually effective, but dramatically uneven. That said, the film does build in further layers – there’s an implication that the storytelling itself may be strategic, a way of encouraging the political prisoner, Valentín, to open up in exchange for the possibility of early release on the part of Molina. This adds a subtle tension beneath the more overt theatricality.

Where the film truly resonates is in its emotional core. There are tender, thoughtful reflections on identity, particularly around sexuality, and the relationship between the two men develops into something unexpectedly moving. The dynamic of opposites gradually finding common ground is handled with sensitivity, and there’s a genuine warmth in their growing connection.

The film also becomes a commentary on escapism – on the power of cinema to transport, to comfort, and to create meaning even in the most oppressive circumstances. Valentín’s initial disdain for musicals makes his gradual engagement feel inevitable, though the songs themselves are perhaps not especially memorable.

Ultimately, this is a film that wrestles with the balance between imagination and representation. While it may lose some of the subtlety of the original film by visualizing what was once implied, it gains something in emotional immediacy, offering a layered and at times deeply affecting exploration of connection, storytelling and survival.