'Anansi the Spider' Review

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Genre: Animation.

Director: Jared Hall.

Cast: Daniel Jennings. Jared Hall. Elijah Gallimore-Repole.

Seen for Slamdance 2025.

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The Verdict: A Must-See

Anansi the Spider’s folklore is as long and sticky as a wonderful web. Originating in West Africa, Anansi the trickster went to the Caribbean with enslaved Africans, particularly to Jamaica, where the importance of those tales grew. Like many fables, stories about Anansi explained the order of the world, provided morality lessons, and entertained with clever stories of trickery. 

Animator Jared Hall captured one special tale for his animated short film Anansi the Spider. Anansi might be small and weak, but he enjoys making jokes and boasts. Tiger, however, is not amused. In fact, the predator is downright insulted. Instead of eating the spider outright, Tiger makes him a bet: If Anansi can capture Snake, Tiger will eat Snake instead and give up his jungle crown to the Spider. Else, Spider is lunch. Yikes. Anansi heads out into the jungle to see if he can capture Snake…

Hall beautifully animates the story using shaded graphite drawings that easily blend in with each other. There is constant movement in his work mixed with bright, exploding colors; oranges and reds, purples and greens. Anansi’s web weaves its way into Tiger’s stripes as the leafy background curls up into Snake. The jungle itself is magical and dark. Hall’s eruption of visuals conjures new life to this story of old.   

Anansi the Spider is an imaginative treat for animation lovers.