The Spiral
Seen it?2026 | 115 min | Drama, Thriller
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (71% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop and little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing.
- The mood
- Tense.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 55 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Italian, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
On a stormy night in Rome, Anna arrives at her daughter Alice’s apartment with a devastating confession: their entire family history is built on a lie. Twenty years earlier, after a horrific accident that nearly cost Alice her leg, Anna claims she made a pact with a mysterious Stranger to save her. But the miracle came at a price. What she believed was a single desperate bargain has in fact unleashed a spiraling chain reaction — a domino effect of increasingly dark events that have haunted their lives ever since. Now, the Stranger has come to collect. And Anna is convinced that only Alice can break the spiral and set things right. But at what cost?
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
71% on Rotten Tomatoes, 73 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.5 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
Award season hasn't happened yet, so this isn't counted.
- Reach & staying powerWeak
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 12K people sought it out in the past year, and interest is climbing
Trailer
More like this
Remember
Weeknight WatchAnother drama, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain
Monday Morning MaybeAnother thriller. Fair warning: it's a Monday Morning Maybe.
Killer's Kiss Sunday Safe BetAnother thriller, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
The 355 Weeknight WatchAnother thriller, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
What Maisie Knew Sunday Safe BetAnother drama, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks
Cast & crew
Directed by Paolo Strippoli
- Jasmine TrincaAnna
- Romana Maggiora VerganoAlice
- Adriano GianniniWalter
- Valeria Bruni TedeschiStranger
- Gabriella TelegrafoAlice (1999)
- Alessandro CarbonaraTobia (1999)
- Mariandrea CesariAlice (2006)
- Andrea RossiniTobia (2006)
- Andrea GenoveseTobia (2025)
- Marina LimosaniLidia Mariani