Arachnophobia

Great pacing, great payoffs for all its setups, exactly enough characterization but not too much–and, of course, spiders. What more can you ask for?

Its screams are likely to be drowned out by a cacophony of joyful wails reverberating in the theaters when Arachnophobia creeps toward an edge-of-seat conclusion.

[Goodman] is a quiet hoot, fancying himself as the last samurai in the battle against bugs. His performance takes the edge off the horror and makes ''Arachnophobia'' palatable for people of all ages.

A tension-laden web full of solid scares and well-timed wit in what is virtually a version of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, only with eight legs.