A hyperdetailed breakdown of Spider Man Into the Spider Verse’s most thrilling scene

have seen Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse — now an Academy Award-winning film for Best Animated Feature — seven times now. Each time I watch the film, I notice more details in the beautiful, precise execution of each moment, and it always reminds me of the thoughtfulness and care that goes into the best movies. Nothing is wasted; every detail is there to add something to the emotional impact of the scene.

I’m a lead game designer at ArenaNet, and I’ve previously worked on projects with NASA. I wanted to look at my favorite scene from Into the Spider-Verse through the eyes of someone who designs games for a living to help you see why I love this movie so much. It’s my hope that I can help you see things you might have missed the first time around, or maybe gain a better understanding of why the scene made you feel a certain way, or even just get you to watch the movie for the first time if you haven’t already.

The scene is Miles’ leap of faith: the moment he becomes Spider-Man. The best way to begin is just by watching the whole thing by itself. So, first, enjoy!

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO

The new outfit frames his face, he’s surrounded by the city, and his face is determined. What he’s about to do is hard, and he knows it, but he also knows it’s the only way forward.

We see how Miles has arrived at this moment as he sits and contemplates the challenge ahead of him. The editing and direction take advantage of different storytelling methods in these moments. There are visual reminders of previous scenes to give us a sense of place, like the subway, and Miles’ literal journey back to Aunt May to get help. We’re shown that she was waiting for him to reach this point in his journey. We hear audio snippets of those who have influenced his path to this moment, including his mother, father, and finally Peter Parker.

My favorite detail during these flashbacks is when Miles sees his reflection in the glass that holds the Spider-Man suit. We have seen this moment before, but his face didn’t line up with the mask on display when Gwen Stacey, Peter Parker, and Miles first entered the Spidercave in an earlier scene.

It’s a visual reminder that Miles wasn’t yet the person he needed to be in order to wear the suit then. But now? His face fits the mask. Things have changed.

WHAT’S UP DANGER

The music builds slowly during these flashback scenes. Miles is still thinking, and considering. He’s getting ready. We hear snippets of the song “What’s Up Danger” by Blackway and Black Caviar as the flashbacks bring us to a conversation between Miles and Parker.

“When do I know I’m Spider-Man?” Miles asks.

The camera cuts to Miles pulling the mask down over his face.

“You won’t,” Peter answers. Sometimes we have to do things before we feel like we’re ready for them.

The music quiets. Another amazing shot takes over the screen.

Listen to the small audio details: Miles’ sneakers squeak on the glass, and his fingers tap against it. The song’s placement in the audio mix leaves so much room for these tiny, relatable sounds. Every small movement leads to a tiny, furtive noise of some kind.

Pay attention to how the shot is framed; it nearly pushes Miles outside of it and offscreen. The building is so much larger than he is and dominates the screen. His environment leaves almost no room for him. He’s crushed by the weight of where he is and what he has to do next.

Peter’s voice breaks the silence: “That’s all it is, Miles,” he says. “A leap of faith.”

Miles leaps.

“Now, what’s up danger?” the song asks, but it’s still low in the mix. But notice this subtle detail from the moment in which he jumps:

The audience enters the the scene by looking up the side of a building. It’s dark and dramatic, and the lightning strikes match the beats of the music. You may recognize the building if you’ve seen the movie before: This is where Miles tried to take his first leap, but failed.

But Miles now knows what he must do to become a hero, to help the people he cares about, and it shows.His fingers rip the glass from the building’s face. He didn’t actually let go — not all the way. He’s still afraid, and he still doesn’t have full control over his powers. But he does it anyway. This the manifestation of his leap of faith: Miles is doing something necessary despite his fear, despite knowing how badly this could all go for him. Miles is still conflicted internally, as part of him refuses to let go of the wall. His brain isn’t telling him that this is how he becomes Spider-Man. His brain is telling him that jumping from this height will kill him.

This moment is breathtaking, and it occurs in almost full silence. This shot resembles an underwater environment, and the action slow downs before it comes to an almost complete halt.

In the script, all it says about this scene is that “Miles rises.” Feature animation editor Andy Leviton gave me some more context through Twitter, describing an earlier version that was much less graceful — and almost made the final cut.