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Spider-Man

Spider-Man

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2002121 minPG-13Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Director
Sam Raimi
Starring
Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco

After being bitten by a genetically altered spider at Oscorp, nerdy but endearing high school student Peter Parker is endowed with amazing powers to become the superhero known as Spider-Man.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Spider-Man?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Spider-Man streaming on Disney+ and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Spider-Man?

Spider-Man earns 12 badges, led by Modern classic and Top 5% of films.

Show 4 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Spider-Man worth watching?

Spider-Man's Midcredits score is the 95th percentile of all films, from 4M ratings across 6 sources. 82% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

95th percentile

Better received than 95% of films

97th percentile among Action94th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)94th
Approval (how many liked it)92nd

77 /100

94th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Action94th percentile among 2000s

Critics 73 · Audience 77

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.5 — solid but not unanimous.

82% liked it

92nd percentile of all films

95th percentile among Action92nd percentile among 2000s
82% rated it 7–1018% rated it 1–6

Critics 90% · Audience 67%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 2 Oscar noms · 15 wins / 65 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Sound
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Visual Effects

99th percentile

4M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Action99th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 10% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$139M
Opening weekend$115M
Domestic gross$409M
Worldwide gross$811M

Returned 5.8× its budget — 98th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A faithful, earnest origin story that balances teen coming-of-age drama with superhero action, anchored by strong lead casting.

Fans praised

  • Tobey Maguire perfectly embodies Peter Parker's awkward, earnest vulnerability
  • Willem Dafoe brings intense, schizophrenic gravitas to Norman Osborn/Green Goblin
  • Sam Raimi respects the character's emotional core and origin story with heart

Detractors panned

  • Campy, corny dialogue and melodramatic romance feels forced and dated
  • Green Goblin's Power Rangers-style costume undermines a menacing villain
  • Weak villain motivations and underdeveloped plot with predictable cliches

What stands out

ActingDivisive82

Maguire's shy nerd persona vs Dafoe's manic double performance

CharactersDivisive78

Peter's relatable everyman arc vs Harry and MJ as thin supporting roles

Emotional impactDivisive74

Uncle Ben's death and 'great power' lesson resonate

Sound and musicDivisive72

Danny Elfman's heroic yet sometimes forgettable score

Effects and spectacleDivisive70

Web-swinging iconic but CGI visibly dated

Plot and storyDivisive65

Strong origin structure but predictable beats and weak villain motivation

PacingDivisive63

Slow first act building origin then rushed final act

DialogueDivisive50

Cheesy one-liners and forced romantic confession

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 19 points higher than women.

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Under-30s

Under-30s scored it 11 points higher than over-30s.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 11 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Spider-Man like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Fun ride: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want a fun ride.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you fired up.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Fun ride.

The answer rests on this: Moods
ThrillingRomanticMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Warm humor
Register
Adventurous · 11% of filmsRomantic · 8% of filmsMelodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its superhero material with earnest sincerity, embracing the comic-book melodrama and emotional stakes with a straight face. It's playful and exciting but never winking at the audience.
The rideAction sequences and romantic moments keep energy high, but the most emotionally heavy stretch is the final act: the bridge crisis, Norman's death, and Peter's sacrifice.
StructureThe story unfolds in a conventional three-act structure: Peter's transformation, his early heroics, and the final confrontation. There are no significant nonlinear or experimental storytelling devices.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Fired up.

The answer rests on this: Rousing · 10% of filmsBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you inspired by Peter's heroism and sacrifice, but also with the bittersweet ache of his unfulfilled love and personal cost.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe film follows Peter Parker's origin and his confrontation with the Green Goblin, a powerful tyrant whose actions threaten the people he loves. Though it is a superhero origin story, the central conflict is defeating the Goblin, fitting the overcoming_the_monster archetype with a coming-of-age secondary arc.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfComingof age
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% (this title) · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Coming of age · 5% of filmsIdentity · 14% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themePeter Parker's journey from a shy, powerless teen to a hero who accepts the weight of his abilities is a classic coming-of-age story, grounded in the lesson that power must be used responsibly.
StanceThe film celebrates the idea that personal responsibility and sacrifice are noble, validating Peter's choice to be a hero despite the personal cost.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticInstitutionalStylized realism
Orchestral modernForeground music · original score · Danny Elfman
SettingNew York City: Queens suburb, high school, Oscorp labs, Manhattan loft, Daily Bugle offices
MusicThe prominent orchestral theme underscores Peter's heroic transformation and romantic moments.

Content guide

Is Spider-Man okay for kids?

PG-13

Spider-Man is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for stylized violence and action” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (60/100), sexual content at mild (33/100), language at mild (30/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (16/100) and frightening material at moderate (60/100). Overall it is heavier than 61% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 34 other countries
  • UK12A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • IrelandPG
  • New ZealandPG
  • JapanG
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil12
  • Argentina+13
  • Belgium12
  • CzechiaU
  • Denmark11
  • FinlandK-12
  • Greece13
  • Hong KongIIA
  • Hungary16
  • ID13+
  • IndiaU
  • Israel12
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoB
  • MYU
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway12
  • Poland12
  • PortugalM/12
  • PRPG
  • RO15
  • Russia12+
  • SK12
  • SpainAPTA
  • Sweden11
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 38% of all filmsHeavier than 61% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 71%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 59%
Profanity
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 20%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 16%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 74%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is violence, heavier than 71% of PG-13-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Spider-Man have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Spider-Man?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Tobey Maguire
as Spider-Man
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Willem Dafoe
as Green Goblin
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kirsten Dunst
as Mary Jane Watson
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
James Franco
as Harry Osborn
newcomer then · star now
Cliff Robertson
as Ben Parker
Rosemary Harris
as May Parker
J.K. Simmons
as J. Jonah Jameson
Joe Manganiello
as Flash Thompson
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Gerry Becker
as Maximilian Fargas
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Bill Nunn
as Joseph 'Robbie' Robertson

Crew

Directed by

Sam Raimi

Written by

David Koepp

Cinematography

Don Burgess

Edited by

Arthur CoburnBob Murawski

Music by

Danny Elfman

Produced by

Laura ZiskinIan Bryce

More like this

What are movies like Spider-Man?

Movies like Spider-Man include Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). Of the 12 closest matches, all are superhero films, and several are stories about supervillains.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Sam Raimi directed 4 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

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What else shares a premise, people or place with Spider-Man?

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