critics consensus

Spiral explores the tension between otherness and conformity with a well-acted horror story that chills even if it doesn't outright terrify. Read critic reviews

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Movie Info

A same-sex couple moves to a small town with their 16-year-old daughter.

Genre:

mystery and thriller
Original Language:

English
Director:

Kurtis David Harder
Producer:

Chris Ball, Kurtis David Harder, Colin Minihan
Writer:

Colin Minihan
Release Date (Streaming):

Oct 13, 2020
Runtime:

1h 30m
Production Co:

Digital Interference Productions

Cast & Crew

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

Ari Cohen
Aaron

Jennifer Laporte
Kayla

Lochlyn Munro
Marshal

Chandra West
Tiffany

Ty Wood
Tyler

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News & Interviews for Spiral

TV Premiere Dates 2020

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Critic Reviews for Spiral

All Critics (41) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (31) | Rotten (10)

Spiral is spooky fun, yet far from sensational or even satisfying.

September 28, 2020 | Full Review…

Kristy Puchko
Pajiba
This movie is progressive intentionally, but not formally, and the difference between its creators' themes and consideration is unfortunately glaring.

September 17, 2020 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

Simon Abrams
RogerEbert.com
To see a story like this was a breath of fresh air.

November 13, 2019 | Full Review…

Jourdain Searles
Autostraddle
With its on-the-nose messaging, Spiral isn't exactly subtle, but its harrowing and bloody denouement will leave you reeling.

January 29, 2021 | Rating: B- | Full Review…

Jeffrey Zhang
Strange Harbors
No matter how bad I wanted to root for this LGBTQ horror film, the messy script and lackluster filmmaking override any truly praise-worthy moments.

January 29, 2021 | Full Review…

EJ Moreno
EJ Moreno
Spiral uses the threat of a demonic cult to explore the real-life horrors of being gay in a small town in the to chilling effect.

December 30, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

Trace Thurman
Horror Queers Podcast
It was pretty muddy. I really wanted to like Spiral more than I did, but too many open questions, neat endings, and unexplained actions left me empty.

October 29, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/5 | Full Review…

MontiLee Stormer
MovieReelist.com
Timely in many ways, including a message about it being unsafe "for people to stand out... in this country," the movie is another frightening case of the more things change, the more they stay the same.

October 21, 2020 | Rating: B | Full Review…

Gregg Shapiro
Bay Area Reporter
Overall, it's a solid horror flick simmering with mystery and tension that anyone can enjoy.

October 21, 2020 | Rating: 7/10 | Full Review…

Staci Layne Wilson
We Live Entertainment
Shades of Rosemary's Baby and Rear Window are sprinkled about but the filmmakers also have their own points to make. And scares to deliver.

October 19, 2020 | Full Review…

Scott Weinberg
Thrillist
The social and political message about exploiting fear makes the themes in Spiral as timely as they are horrifying.

October 8, 2020 | Rating: 3 / 5 | Full Review…

Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots
It manages to be both decidedly dark yet with a hope for humanity. I was pleasantly surprised by the film.

October 2, 2020 | Full Review…

Beth Accomando
KPBS.org