Rights holder / Distributor: Propaganda Italia / Rai Cinema / Dinamo Film / Kazak Productions / Tarantula / 01 Distribution
The Spiral is a 2026 Italian-French-Belgian psychological horror drama film directed by Paolo Stripoli from a screenplay by himself and Salvatore De Chirico. The film has a running time of 115 minutes and was presented in competition at the 83rd Venice Film Festival.
During a severe storm, Anna unexpectedly arrives at her daughter Alice's home to reveal a truth she has been hiding for twenty years. She confesses that she made a deal with a stranger in the past, trying to save her daughter after a serious accident. Now the consequences of that decision threaten the family again and force Alice to confront secrets that change her perception of her own past.
Paolo Stripoli builds tension around a family secret and a supernatural deal, combining psychological drama with elements of horror. The confined space of the home and the storm outside create a sense of a closed world in which the past gradually invades the present. The story raises questions about parental love, the desire to control one's destiny, and the cost of decisions made out of fear.
Jasmine Trinca plays the role of Anna, and Romana Maggiora Vergano played by her daughter Alice. Adriano Giannini and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi round out the main cast. Their performances are at the center of a story that relies on complex family relationships and the gradual revelation of a long-kept secret.
The Spiral combines family drama and psychological horror, focusing on a mother's attempt to change her child's fate. Rather than relying solely on sudden scares, the film builds tension through secrets, guilt, and the consequences of past decisions. This is a proposition for viewers looking for darker European films with a mysterious plot and supernatural elements.
