The film is a psychological horror-adventure. Peter Parker is not a high-tech Avenger; he is a broke, sleep-deprived college student in a sun-drenched, timeless New York. He is struggling to maintain his sanity as the city turns against him, fueled by a smear campaign led by J. Jonah Jameson.
The villain is Quentin Beck (Mysterio), a disgraced special effects wizard and stuntman who was fired from the movie industry for endangering lives. Obsessed with fame and "creating the ultimate scene," Beck uses hallucinogenic gas and practical effects to frame Spider-Man. The "Raimi Touch" comes into play when the gas hits: Peter is trapped in surreal, Evil Dead-style nightmare sequences where he fights giant versions of his guilt (Uncle Ben, the spider that bit him). The film questions the nature of heroism in a world of "fake news" and smoke and mirrors. It culminates in a battle in a funhouse mirror maze where Peter must trust his Spider-Sense (blindfolded) to distinguish the man from the monster.
