Spiral (2019 film)

Spiral is a 2019 Canadian horror thriller film, directed by Kurtis David Harder. It stars Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman and Ari Cohen as Malik and Aaron, respectively, a same-sex couple who move to a small town with their daughter Kayla (June Laporte), only to suspect that their initial welcome from their neighbors Marshall (Lochlyn Munro) and Tiffany (Chandra West) may conceal something sinister.

It premiered August 25, 2019 at Arrow Video Frightfest and was screened at other horror and LGBTQ film festivals through late 2019 and early 2020. It premiered on Shudder in September 2020.

Production
Spiral was filmed during a 21-day period in 2018, in one of Alberta's small towns (Irricana), on a relatively low budget.

Critical reception
The movie received generally positive reviews. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of based on  reviews, with an average rating of. The website's critical consensus reads: "Spiral explores the tension between otherness and conformity with a well-acted horror story that chills even if it doesn't outright terrify." Phil Wheat of Nerdly called it "an interesting look into the pressure of being minority" and believed that Bowyer-Chapman's performance was "the very epitome of tour-de-force." His Name is Death editor Albert Nowicki praised the movie for its undertones and subtextual plot and applauded Harder for "finally giving gay characters the right to speak and tell their stories." He also stated the movie is "brave" and has "a lot of empathy."