Facing an invasion of venomous spiders, residents of a suburb building will have to find their way out to survive. A film by Sébastien Vaniček, starring Théo Christine, Sofia Lesaffre, Jérôme Niel, Lisa Nyarko, and Finnegan Oldfield.

In an unnamed desert, a group of men travel to a rocky area. They are searching for something specific. One of them begins lifting a rock to see what lies beneath. Several attempts later, he flips a rock and discovers a hole underneath it. He suddenly yells to alert his two friends who quickly run to the spot. One of them lays down a tin box, the other one carries a specific type of tank and uses it to smoke whatever is inside the hole. But nothing comes out.

The man who found the hole tries to peek inside. Suddenly, a spider leaps out and bites him in the chest. He falls back, screaming in agony. Then, a swarm of spiders spills out of the hole. Ignoring their bitten friend, the two other men start catching the spiders one by one, placing each one in a plastic container. The spiders seem to be venomous, and there’s no antidote. As his friend’s screams become unbearable, one man walks over and puts him out of his misery with a machete.

Kaleb (Théo Christine) visits Ali’s shop to find a perfect gift for Claudia, but Ali (Samir Nait) keeps trying to sell cheap-looking plastic earrings, claiming they’re very popular in Dubai. However, Kaleb persuades Ali to show him inside the backroom where Ali keeps real treasures, probably illegal to sell. Inside, Ali hands Kaleb a pair of beautiful earrings that cost 80 euros. Kaleb is fascinated by Ali’s collection of exotic creatures, as he mentions that he dreams of opening his own reptile zoo. Kaleb’s eyes fixate on a strange-looking spider, very much like the spider we saw earlier in the desert. Despite Ali’s warning that the spider might be poisonous, Kaleb decides to buy both the earrings and the spider.

Kaleb returns to the rundown apartment complex and checks on his storage room in the basement. He encounters his friend Mathys (Jérôme Niel) who just returns from the basement parking lot with a stolen bicycle. Kaleb worries about Mathys getting caught and reminds him to focus on selling sneakers and forget about stealing bicycles. Mathys informs Kaleb that Toumani keeps pressing him regarding the Nike TNs. However, Kaleb discovers that the Nike box is damaged by water droplets leaking from a broken pipe. Frustrated, Kaleb checks the sneaker and finds no damage. He tasks Mathys with finding a new box and then takes the sneaker back to his apartment for safekeeping.

Nike TN, also known as the Nike Air Max Plus, is a popular sneaker model designed by Nike. It was originally designed as a performance running shoe in the late 1990s, featuring visible Max Air units in the sole for soft cushioning and impact absorption.The distinctive silhouette includes a futuristic textured upper, wavy lines inspired by palm trees and ocean waves, and a whale’s tail between the bouncy Nike TN units in the sole.

Upon returning to the apartment he shares with his estranged younger sister Manon (Lisa Nyarko), he finds the living room still under renovation. Upset to see their late mother’s belongings shoved into a cardboard box, he confronts Manon, who’s noisily drilling the bathroom wall. However, she brushes off his concern and ignores him.

Entering his room, Kaleb is shocked to find all the lights off and the radiator cold. He frantically flips the light switch and cranks the radiator to max. His exotic pets, sensitive to the cold, could perish in these conditions. Grabbing an unused cardboard shoebox, he quickly transfers the new spider he bought as a temporary home. Later, Kaleb confronts Manon about his room’s state. Manon counters that the electricity bill was too high, on top of the costs for repairs to their crumbling apartment. Accusing Manon of selfishness, he questions her plan to sell the place – filled with memories of their late mother. Manon, pleading for realism, urges Kaleb to move on.

Later, at a goodbye party for Claudia (Marie-Philomène Nga), presumably a good friend of his mother, Kaleb bumps into Toumani (Ike Zacsongo-Joseph) in the hallway. Toumani relentlessly presses him about the promised Nike TN. Kaleb assures him it’ll be delivered by tomorrow. Meanwhile, disaster strikes back at the apartment. The deadly spider Kaleb has been keeping in a shoebox chews through its flimsy cardboard prison. Unbeknownst to Kaleb, the spider spins a hidden web within the plush comfort of the Nike TN.

The next day, at the apartment parking lot, Kaleb hands the shoebox to Toumani. Suddenly, Gilles (Emmanuel Bonami), a nosy neighbor appears, throwing accusations of drug dealing at Kaleb. Toumani bristles with agitation. He snatches the Nike NT sneakers from the box, flings the empty cardboard on the ground, and storms off with his dog, Maggie.

Kaleb is surprised to see his childhood friend Jordy (Finnegan Oldfield) fixing the bathroom. They haven’t spoken since a falling out years ago. Manon explains she invited Lila (Sofia Lesaffre) to help finish the bathroom; Lila is Jordy’s girlfriend, and he came along to assist. Later, Toumani is bitten by the deadly spider hidden in the sneaker. He suffers a painful demise, succumbing to the venom in his own apartment.

Concerned residents of the apartment complex gather outside Toumani’s door. His dog’s incessant barking pierces the tense silence. No answer comes from within despite repeated knocks and calls to Toumani’s phone. Gilles takes charge, breaking down the door. Inside, they find Toumani’s lifeless body. The police arrive to remove the body. Whispers of a deadly virus circulate amongst the worried residents. Gilles steps forward with a different explanation. He declares Toumani’s death an overdose and accuses Kaleb of selling Toumani the heroin.

Directed by French filmmaker Sébastien Vaniček in his directorial debut, from a screenplay written by himself and Florent Bernard, VERMINES delivers a potent cocktail of scares and suspense with engrossing cinematography. The rundown concrete jungle of the apartment complex becomes a character itself, its claustrophobic corridors amplifying the terror as the spider infestation spirals out of control.

Vaniček doesn’t shy away from the gruesome realities of these deadly spiders. Their movements are realistic and unsettling, making every eight-legged scurry a jump scare waiting to happen. The special effects are amazing, creating creatures that are both horrifying and believable.

However, the screenplay attempts to add depth by establishing a dramatic backstory for the protagonist. We learn he’s estranged from his sister and his best friend. The film fails to make Kaleb a sympathetic character. His actions, particularly his irresponsible purchase of the venomous spider that sets the whole catastrophe in motion, paint him as impulsive and selfish. This makes it difficult for the viewer to truly root for him as he battles for survival.

Despite the underdeveloped protagonist, VERMINES remains a thrilling ride. The tension is relentless, and the film boasts several genuinely terrifying sequences. Vaniček has established himself as a promising new talent in horror filmmaking.

The apartment complex appeared in film is Arènes de Picasso (Picasso’s Arenas), a housing complex in Noisy-le-Grand, France. Designed by Spanish architect Manuel Núñez Yanowsky and inaugurated in 1984, it is a notable example of postmodern architecture. The complex features an octagonal square with two large, wheel-shaped buildings, nicknamed “camemberts” due to their resemblance to the soft cheese.

VERMINES premiered at Biennale di Venezia on 9 September 2023. It was theatrically released in France on 27 December. The film received a limited theatrical release in the United States under the English title INFESTED on 19 April 2024.