Paolo Strippoli's Lurid Faustian Tragedy
Variety • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Paolo Strippoli’s horror film "The Spiral" features a stylish portrayal of the Devil by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, who preys on a mother’s fears in a Faustian tale set against a backdrop of family trauma and moral dilemmas.
- The film, Strippoli’s fourth feature and first in Venice’s main competition, offers flashy but superficial entertainment, lacking the depth and tension of his previous work "The Holy Boy."
- The narrative revolves around a mother’s desperate pact to save her daughter’s leg after a dog attack, resulting in grim consequences for the family, explored through a fragmented flashback structure.
- While the film’s script struggles with pacing and thematic depth, Strippoli’s strong visual style and Bruni Tedeschi’s charismatic performance inject camp and energy, securing his status as a rising horror auteur.
- "The Spiral" is poised for international attention, with potential Hollywood remake interest, despite its uneven execution and reliance on genre tropes.
