25 Years Later, Fans of Prime Video's Hit Thriller Series Are Discovering the Forgotten Original Movie With Morgan Freeman

Image via Paramount Pictures

Published Mar 2, 2026, 5:57 PM EST

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Many of you may be fans of Prime Video's hit series Cross, but you may not be aware that the character has been portrayed on screen a number of times in the past. Perhaps the most notable of those is Along Came a Spider, the thriller released quarter of a century ago which has just found a new streaming home.

Released in 2001, the film is based on James Patterson’s bestselling novel and serves as a sequel to Kiss the Girls. It once again centers on Detective Alex Cross, played by Morgan Freeman, as he’s pulled out of early retirement to investigate the kidnapping of a U.S. senator’s daughter.

The villain this time? Gary Soneji, portrayed with theatrical menace by Michael Wincott, who dubs himself “The Spider.” Teaming up with Secret Service agent Jezzie Flannigan, played by Monica Potter, Cross uncovers a conspiracy inspired by the infamous Lindbergh kidnapping — one that quickly spirals into something far more elaborate and absurd.

Unlike Kiss the Girls, which risked making Cross feel almost too competent, Along Came a Spider allows him to grapple with failure and guilt following the death of his partner. That vulnerability adds weight to the cat-and-mouse game, grounding the film’s more outrageous twists in something emotionally real.

Is 'Along Came a Spider' Worth Watching?

The legendary film critic Roger Ebert reviewed the film back in 2001, declaring that Along Came a Spider is a slick, atmospheric thriller undone by a plot so riddled with loopholes that it becomes distracting rather than suspenseful. The film throws shock after shock at the audience, seemingly counting on momentum to override logic. Instead, viewers are left questioning basic motivations, technological conveniences, and character knowledge that doesn’t always add up.

Of Morgan Freeman as a movie actor, no praise is too high. Maybe actors should be given Oscars not for the good films they triumph in, but for the weak films they survive. The focus of his gaze, the quiet authority of his voice, make Dr. Cross an interesting character even in scenes where all common sense has fled. And the look and texture of the film are fine; Tamahori and cinematographer Matthew F. Leonetti have created a convincing sense of place (to be sure, they shot their Virginia exteriors in British Columbia, but, hey, that’s a place, too). Michael Wincott makes a satisfactory bad guy, especially when his mastermind schemes start blowing up in his face.

Along Came a Spider is streaming now on Paramount+.