I regarded "Spiral" with a bit of skepticism before watching: on one hand, I have always loved the "disturbed loner" films of Roman Polanski (see "The Tenant," which clearly had a huge bearing on this) and Lucky McKee ("May" and the Angela Bettis-directed "Roman"); on the other, I hated "Hatchet," co-director Adam Green's romp in derivative slasher excess. And while "Spiral" never achieves a level of Polanski-an delerium (few films can), it is an efficient little character study with some standout elements in its favor: first is an unexpectedly eerie performance from Joel David Moore (who also co-directed and co-wrote the script), the lanky mainstream comedic foil who takes a convincing dip into darkness as Mason, a lonely, asthmatic telemarketer who spends his spare time painting. His relationship with his boss and best (only) friend (Zachary Levi) is an interesting, off-kilter distortion of male bonding, and his courtship of a similarly lonely female (Amber Tamblyn) is beautiful in its own unavoidable awkwardness. While "Spiral" does build to a twist that would cheapen any other film, its inclusion here actually enriches the characters and all that has gone on before in a quietly innocuous way. And even though the script leaves a fair share of unexplained loose ends and underdeveloped backstories (the significance of Mason's parents is never explained) that may have rendered this a more complex and fulfilling ride, I can't say I didn't enjoy watching "Spiral" spin out of control. A fine, offbeat effort that's a refreshing alternative to what the genre is currently offering.
6.5 out of 10
6.5 out of 10