Before Cross, This James Patterson Adaptation Nailed The Character

While James Patterson is certainly one of the most popular American authors of the past several decades, his novels have not exactly inspired many great works of cinema; adaptations like Alex Cross and Maximum Ride were complete disasters, and it’s largely because they took themselves way too seriously. Patterson may deal with a lot of important subject matter as it relates to crime fiction and American politics, but his work is best described as “airport fiction,” as they are generally disposable stories that would seem rather ridiculous if given any serious amount of thought.

There is a lot of value in knowing one’s audience, and it’s unfortunate that Patterson’s legions of fans have not been able to enjoy adaptations that embody the spirit of his work. However, there is one adaptation of his stories that lived up to expectations better than others. Along Came A Spider perfectly captures the essence of Patterson’s novel, and is one of the few interpretations of the Alex Cross character that gets everything right.

What Is ‘Along Came a Spider’ About?

Based on the novel of the same name, Along Came A Spider serves as a sequel to Kiss the Girls, which introduced Morgan Freeman and Jay O. Sanders as Detective Cross and FBI Agent Kyle Craig, respectively. The film begins by signifying an end to Cross’ adventures, as his inability to save his partner Tracie Fisher (Jill Teed) from death during an intense chase inspires him to request an early retirement. However, this is only a temporary diversion, as Cross is soon brought back when Megan Rose (Mika Boorem), the daughter of a powerful U.S. Senator, is kidnapped by the vicious killer Gary Soneji (Michael Wincott), who refers to himself as “The Spider.” Megan’s security enforcer, Secret Service Agent Jezzie Flannigan (Monica Potter), feels personally responsible for the breach, and agrees to team up with Cross to track down Soneji. However, the situation grows more complicated when they realize that Soneji has orchestrated a conspiracy meant to replicate the Lindbergh kidnapping of 1932.

Along Came a Spider fixes some of the issues of Kiss the Girls, which aimed to be a more straightforward investigative mystery. It became more than obvious that Kiss the Girls was attempting to replicate the tone and approach of popular serial killer films from the 1990s like Se7en or Silence of the Lambs, but lacked the attention to detail to be truly transcendent. Patterson’s novels never really offered any insight on the killer’s motivations, and didn’t have the same semblance of realism that David Fincher and Jonathan Demme had aimed for. However, Along Came a Spider was not afraid to get absurd, as it delved into the contrived conspiracies that were central to Patterson’s novels, many of which made absolutely no logical sense when thought about for more than a few moments. That being said, Along Came a Spider is also an excellent adaptation that knows what to cut from the novel; exterior details about Rose’s classmates and other crimes linked to “the Spider” are removed to keep the narrative more focused on Cross’ path of redemption.

‘Along Came a Spider’ Embodies James Patterson’s Writing Style

Along Came a Spider understands that Patterson’s writing is inherently silly, and isn’t afraid to get truly strange with its main villain. The initial kidnapping of Megan involves Soneji wearing a ridiculous disguise to infiltrate her school, and the film subsequently uses more emerging technology to complicate the cat-and-mouse game he plays with Cross. Wincott is the perfect actor for the role, because he is able to be genuinely menacing whilst also chewing the scenery. If Kiss the Girls wanted to create the next Hannibal Lecter, Along Came a Spider was content trying to turn Soneji into a James Bond villain.

As with Kiss the Girls, Along Came A Spider is elevated by the excellent performance by Freeman, who truly understands why Cross is regarded as such a great literary hero.Kiss the Girls risked turning Cross into too flawless of a character, but Along Came a Spider is willing to engage with his faults, and show why resilience is his greatest strength. At the same time, Freeman is also the type of actor who can deliver the most ridiculous dialogue with a straight face. While Cross would later be played by both Tyler Perry and Aldis Hodge, Freeman is pivotal to making Along Came a Spider the best Patterson adaptation.

Along Came A Spider is streaming on Paramount Plus in the United States.

Watch on Paramount Plus