What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedHoly Spider
Ali Abbasi · Film · 2022
If you loved Holy Spider, start with Under the Banner of Heaven (Dustin Lance Black, 2022) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Holy Spider across media.
If Holy Spider gripped you, it is because you are fascinated by how institutional power fuels the darkest manifestations of religious and social fanaticism.
Books on the same thread
Holly
Stephen King · Book · 2023
Explores: missing persons, elderly sociopaths, investigative process.
Like the journalist in Holy Spider, you will appreciate the meticulous investigative process required to uncover the dark secrets hidden behind a facade of societal normalcy and moral authority.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium Trilogy)
Stieg Larsson · Book · 2010
Shares 2 threads with Holy Spider: vigilante justice, Crime Thriller.
Fans of Holy Spider who crave stories about journalists exposing systemic abuse of power will find the relentless pursuit of truth in this investigation equally compelling and socially urgent.
Under the Banner of Heaven
Jon Krakauer · Book
Shares a thread with Holy Spider: Religious extremism.
You will recognize the harrowing intersection of religious extremism and violence from Holy Spider in this investigation, which examines how fundamentalist beliefs can justify the most brutal institutional secrecy.
All the Beautiful Sinners
Stephen Graham Jones · Book · 2025
Explores: Biblical symbolism, Small-town secrets, Predator-prey psychology.
If the psychological portrait of the killer in Holy Spider stayed with you, this novel provides a similarly grim exploration of predator-prey dynamics and the symbolism of human evil.
Series on the same thread
Under the Banner of Heaven
Dustin Lance Black · Series · 2022
Shares a thread with Holy Spider: Religious Extremism.
Much like the protagonist of Holy Spider, this detective faces a crisis of faith when he discovers that a brutal crime is deeply rooted in dangerous, localized religious fundamentalism.
Evil
Michelle King · Series · 2019
Explores: Skepticism vs. Faith, Good vs. Evil, The Nature of Belief.
The tension between skepticism and faith that drives the narrative of Holy Spider is central here, as investigators navigate the murky line between genuine belief and manipulative religious extremism.
Midnight Mass
Mike Flanagan · Series · 2021
Explores: Religious Fanaticism, Loss of Faith, Miracles and Deception.
You will find the same unsettling atmosphere of religious fervor found in Holy Spider, where a community's desperate need for belief masks the sinister reality of fanaticism and deception.
Babylon Berlin
Tom Tykwer · Series · 2017
Shares a thread with Holy Spider: Neo-Noir.
If the neo-noir exploration of moral decay in Holy Spider resonated with you, this series offers a similarly gritty look at a society collapsing under its own political corruption.
Podcasts on the same thread
Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén
Spotify Studios · Podcast · 2026
Explores: dark human nature, criminal psychology, public fascination.
This podcast mirrors the investigative focus of Holy Spider, inviting you to examine the dark human nature and criminal psychology that captivate the public after a series of murders.
Kill List
Podcast
Explores: Dark Net, Murder for Hire, Technological Crime.
Just as the journalist in Holy Spider unearths a hidden reality, this investigation exposes the terrifying underworld of technological crime, revealing how easily human life is devalued for profit.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Holy Spider based on the real investigation of the Spider Killer?
Holy Spider depicts a journalist investigating the serial killings of sex workers in the Iranian city of Mashhad. The film follows her descent into the city's dark underbelly as she tracks the killer who believes he is cleansing the streets of sinners.
What is the primary setting of Holy Spider?
The events of Holy Spider take place within the Iranian holy city of Mashhad. This location serves as the backdrop for the journalist's investigation into the serial murders committed by the individual known as the Spider Killer.
Does Holy Spider focus on the perspective of the serial killer?
Holy Spider centers on the journalist's investigation into the crimes. The narrative explores the actions of the so called Spider Killer, a man who targets sex workers under the belief that he is performing a religious duty by cleansing the streets of sinners.
What is the motivation behind the crimes in Holy Spider?
In Holy Spider, the antagonist is known as the Spider Killer. He is motivated by a belief that he is cleansing the streets of Mashhad of sinners, which leads him to commit the serial murders of sex workers that the journalist investigates throughout the film.