Along Came a Spider (2001)

Along Came a Spider (2001)

Taglines: The game is far from over.

A teacher at a school for children of politicians kidnaps a senator’s daughter after 2 years. He is revealed to be a criminal wearing a mask of the teacher and contacts a criminal psychologist to play cat and mouse. Cross believes he is being involved to ensure the kidnapper will attain fame. Confirmed by copycat of the Lindenburgh kidnapping and books about the case found in his hideout. However it is a deception using an unsuspecting accomplice and hides another plot the profiler is blind to.

Along Came a Spider is a 2001 American neo noir psychological thriller film directed by Lee Tamahori. It is a sequel to the 1997 film Kiss the Girls, with Morgan Freeman reprising his role as detective Alex Cross. The screenplay by Marc Moss was adapted from the 1993 novel of the same title by James Patterson, but many of the key plot elements of the book were controversially eliminated. The movie received negative to mixed critical reviews, although it became a box office success.

About the Story

After Washington, D.C. detective, forensic psychologist and author Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman) loses control of a sting operation, resulting in the death of his partner, he opts to retire from the force. He finds himself drawn back to police work when Megan Rose (Mika Boorem), the daughter of a United States senator, is kidnapped from her exclusive private school by computer science teacher Gary Soneji (Michael Wincott). US Secret Service Special Agent Jezzie Flannigan (Monica Potter), held responsible for the breach in security, joins forces with Cross to find the missing girl.

Along Came a Spider (2001) - Monica Potter

Soneji contacts Cross by phone and alerts him to the fact one of Megan’s sneakers is in the detective’s mailbox, proving Soneji is the kidnapper. Cross deduces the man is obsessed with the 1932 Charles A. Lindbergh Jr. kidnapping and hopes to become as infamous as Bruno Hauptmann by committing a new “Crime of the Century” which might be discussed by Cross in one of his true crime books. Megan’s kidnapping proves to be only part of Soneji’s real plan: to kidnap Dimitri Starodubov (Anton Yelchin), the son of the Russian president, guaranteeing himself greater infamy.

After Cross and Flannigan foil his second kidnapping plot, a supposed call from the kidnapper demands Cross deliver a ransom of $10 million in diamonds by following an intricate maze of calls made to public phone booths scattered throughout the city. Cross ultimately tosses the gems out the window of a rapidly moving Metro train to a figure standing by the tracks. Soneji later arrives at Flannigan’s home and confronts Cross after disabling Flannigan with a taser, the detective realizes the kidnapper is unaware of the ransom demand and delivery. Soneji tries to leave with Flannigan, but Cross kills him.

Along Came a Spider Movie Poster (2001)

Along Came a Spider (2001)

Directed by: Lee Tamahori
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Monica Potter, Michael Wincott, Penelope Ann Miller, Michael Moriarty, Dylan Baker, Mika Boorem, Kim Hawthorne, Anton Yelchin
Screenplay by: James Patterson, Marc Moss
Production Design by: Ida Random
Cinematography by: Matthew F. Leonetti
Film Editing by: Neil Travis
Costume Design by: Sanja Milkovic Hays
Set Decoration by: Elizabeth Wilcox
Art Direction by: Sandy Cochrane
Music by: Jerry Goldsmith
MPAA Rating: R for violence and languag.
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: April 6, 2001

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