Fantastic Fest 2026: THE SPIRAL (2026)
Image courtesy of La Pacte/Propaganda Italia
Genre can mean different things to different people. For some, it's about films that are off the beaten path. For others, it's about films that defy explanation. The best, though, find a way to meld multiple genres in a way that heightens reality ever so slightly.
THE SPIRAL (aka L’ESTRANEA) operates in that last vein and explores the true depths of a parent's love for their children. You might think your parents are a bit smothering, but would they incur the wrath of a potential apocalypse just to ensure your safety? Would they be willing to sell away a little bit of their soul to make sure you're safe and happy? It’s a tall order to imagine from any angle, and one this film spends plenty of time ruminating on. This is a slow and deliberate film that might not be perfect, yet also might be all the better for it, weirdly enough.
Starting in modern-day Rome, Anna (Jasmine Trinca) drops in on her daughter, Alice (Romana Maggiora Vergano), in the middle of a rainstorm. Alice thinks her mom is crazy, but Anna desperately needs to talk to her immediately. Alice's life isn't what she thinks it is, and Anna wants to tell her a long story of woe and wishes—one that threatens to throw her entire life out of whack.
The film then whisks back 27 years earlier, to the city of Bari. To a happier and simpler time. To the start of Anna’s family rising through the societal ranks, until they are firmly on top. Leading to one singular moment in time, where Anna, her husband, Walter (Adriano Giannini), Alice, and her son, Toby, are crystallized in a family photograph. Broken by a sudden accident that sees Alice’s life hanging by a thread, Anna makes a curious deal with a mysterious stranger (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi). An event that sends everything spiraling out of control.
If that sounds a bit vague, it's on purpose. This film is best experienced when only having pieces of the story to go on. At its core, this is a take on the classic Romani curse, in that you get what you wish for, but pay for it in kind. Where even a seemingly benign choice can have massive ramifications when you least expect it.
Director/co-writer Paolo Strippoli builds THE SPIRAL into a low-level epic in scope, spanning decades. Rooting it all in the perspective of the matriarch of a well-to-do family. Years change, but the focus is narrow. The one constant is Trinca's powerhouse performance. It's both statuesque in how she presents the platonic ideal of a "rich white trophy wife," while also giving her enough depth to seem like a caricature. The performance is the very foundation that the entire film rests upon, and not to sound too hyperbolic, but this is an award-worthy performance.
Her wavering grace is mirrored by the various states that her family finds themselves dealing with. Throughout the film, events stray far enough away from Anna’s eyes, filling in gaps experienced by Anna. Their two lives swirl, circling each other in opposite ways. The mother lives by momentary gut checks, viewing them as “good parenting” choices, while Anna is forced to play protector, confidant, and child. Growing up too quickly in the process.
Strippoli's film is a smooth one, doling out the crushing blows with effective force. It allows both the joys and ramifications of each of Anna's successive choices. The irony is that regardless of how much she "sacrifices," she's never exactly in "control." It’s a dichotomy that never really gets explored that often in such a grounded perspective. Yes, there are certainly heightened moments as the film goes on, with the climax taking things to practically biblical proportions, yet the majority of it is on a smaller level. Examining how small moments or interactions shape who people become. That’s also what makes the film’s inclusion of “The Stranger” all the more enigmatic. Imagine Edie Falco playing either Robert De Niro’s Devil in ANGEL HEART or Viggo Mortensen’s take in THE PROPHECY, and that’s the level of this performance (although the character is never outed as such throughout the film). When Strippoli allows the two actors to occupy the same frame, it’s exceptionally electric. Showing how sometimes really, really good dialogue is all you need to make something magical.
Perhaps the strangest thing about THE SPIRAL is when Strippoli seems to get a bit self-indulgent. A couple of sequences in the middle section feel either a little too on-the-nose or dragged out for no real reason. This includes an extremely extended bit weaving Italy’s World Cup win in 2006 into the narrative, the latter of which halts the story a bit too much.
Even with those minor issues, THE SPIRAL is an absolutely intoxicating film. Deftly confident in its storytelling flourishes and backed by stellar performances. It’s one of the rare universal stories that could see the film being remade in Hollywood, the UK, or India, and its themes would resonate just the same. That’s not suggesting it should be done, but it speaks to how well the film will work for so many. It’s the kind of film you can suggest to most anyone who loves movies, and there's more than a good chance they'll embrace this weird little tale, warts and all.
