Kiss of the Spider Woman (2025 | USA | 128 minutes | Bill Condon)

The year is 1983, and Argentina is in the last throes of its military dictatorship. The junta’s rule, known as “The Dirty War,” was marked by state terrorism, torture, oppression, and fear directed at any perceived left-wing activists or dissidents. This reign of literal terror lasted from 1974 through 1983. It’s believed that up to 30,000 Argentinians were disappeared. Economic collapse and growing protests ultimately forced the military from power, leading to Argentina’s first democratic election in nearly a decade in October 1983. (There’s an excellent 2022 film about the prosecution of the military for war crimes called Argentina, 1985, which I highly recommend.)

That is the backdrop for the stunning new film Kiss of the Spider Woman, adapted from Manuel Puig’s 1976 novel. The book was previously adapted into a 1985 film and later into a musical that debuted in 1992 and premiered on Broadway in 1993. If nothing else, I hope this new release prompts the novel to finally be published in eBook format so this Kindle-almost-exclusive reader can read it.

The story unfolds mostly in a dank Argentinian prison where Valentín (Diego Luna) is being held for his revolutionary activities. Desperate to extract information from him as torture has thus far proven ineffective, prison officials introduce a new cellmate, Molina (Tonatiuh), who is sent to spy on Valentín in exchange for the promise of release to see his ailing mother in her final days. Molina is in his third year of an eight-year sentence for public indecency. He is openly gay and obsessed with a musical film called, well, Kiss of the Spider Woman and its leading lady Aurora, played by Ingrid Luna, played by Jennifer Lopez.

Molina recounts the story of the musical, acting it out in their cell. The film frequently shifts between the bleakness of the prison and the lush, fantastical world of the musical, where Diego Luna and Tonatiuh appear alongside J. Lo. The opulent fantasy sequences provide a striking contrast to the darkness and claustrophobia of the prison setting. I don’t think there was a standout musical number that stuck with me, but the visual contrast alone is stunning, both in the locations and in the dual roles by the two protagonists.

Molina and Valentín form an unlikely bond: Molina tends to Valentín after he endures torture and poisoning, while Valentín grows protective of Molina, viewing his gentleness and vulnerability as both unnecessary and dangerous in their environment. Over time, their stark differences soften into a genuine friendship—and possibly more. I won’t say.

The buzz I’ve seen in The Discourse centers on Tonatiuh’s performance, and it’s truly a star-making turn. Beneath his flamboyant persona lies a subtle tenderness that he brings to every scene. Diego Luna and Jennifer Lopez are excellent—this is almost certainly J. Lo’s best work since Steven Soderbergh’s 1998 adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s Out of Sight, but Tonatiuh’s Oscar campaign begins now.

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Kiss of the Spider Woman opens in theaters everywhere today, October 10.