Kiss of the Spider Woman- A collision of old Hollywood glamour and modern-day grit.

Kiss of the Spider Woman

Old Hollywood Musical style with modern grit.

CAST:	Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna, Tonatiuh
DIRECTOR:	Bill Condon
RUN TIME:	128

Jennifer Lopez channels old Hollywood glam in *Kiss of the Spider Woman*, a new Technicolor musical set against the backdrop of Argentina’s  War. Directed and written by Oscar-winner Bill Condon (*Dreamgirls*, *Chicago*), the film adapts Manuel Puig’s novel 

Set in May 1983, the story centers on two cellmates who couldn't be more opposite in their lives, who are forced to get along in a grim Argentine prison.  Molina (Tonatiuh), a flamboyant window dresser jailed for public indecency, and Valentin (Diego Luna), a stoic leftist activist. Molina finds comfort in movie posters and storytelling and tales of his favorite screen diva, Aurora (Lopez).

Tonatiuh and Luna really shine in their dual roles as the prisoners and in the stories of Aurora. 

Aurora’s Technicolor dreamscape explodes onto the screen in dazzling MGM-style musical numbers—an intoxicating escape from the suffocating gray of prison walls. In this fevered fantasia, Jennifer Lopez commands the spotlight in a dual role: Aurora, a radiant fashion editor caught in a tempestuous love triangle, and the haunting Spider Woman, whose kiss is a velvet death sentence. As Molina spins her tale with aching devotion, the lines between illusion and reality dissolve. What begins as storytelling becomes seduction, and what starts as survival blossoms into a fragile, forbidden intimacy—an aching connection forged in the shadows of confinement and the shimmer of dreams.

Lopez's triple threat of singing, dancing, and acting is on full display in this film.  Although I found that a few scenes felt a bit out of step and not as seamless as the old Hollywood films.  

Most of the dialogue in the prison scenes was delivered in hushed whispers, which heightened the drama—but at times, it made the lines difficult to hear and follow.

Molina’s secret mission—to spy on Valentin in exchange for small comforts—threatens everything.

The vivid Technicolor scenes featuring Lopez as Aurora and the Spider Woman stand in stark contrast to the grim, shadowy prison setting, highlighting the striking divide between fantasy and harsh reality.

With executive producers including Lopez, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Diego Luna, and Condon himself, the film is a powerhouse of talent.  Alongside the iconic Broadway melodies of Kander & Ebb—haunting ballads like “Her Name is Aurora” and the seductive “Kiss of the Spider Woman”—the film breathes new life into these classics, transforming them with cinematic grandeur.

I would suggest you look for the 1985 version with William Hurt.  Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) - IMDb  

The 2025 film is sleeker, more visually stunning and has superb casting.

The theatrical release is October 17, 2025