The Spiral: When Motherhood Becomes a Demonic Pact

Unraveling the Tangled Web of Control

When I first heard about The Spiral, I couldn't help but think of how rarely we see motherhood portrayed as both a source of comfort and a breeding ground for horror. But that's exactly what director Paolo Strippoli has done with his latest Venice entry, a psychological thriller that takes the age-old concept of the controlling mother and flips it into something genuinely unsettling.

"It's a film about control, about how it's impossible to determine our destiny," Strippoli told me. "We live in a society that teaches us self-determination, but the truth is that self-determination is not always possible."

Strippoli's vision is a masterclass in ambiguity — he doesn't present his characters as inherently evil, but rather as products of their time and circumstances. The Colonnas, the family at the center of this story, are rich social climbers from post-industrial Bari who've achieved status through ambition, not inheritance. Their love, while misguided, is real — just twisted by the weight of control.

A Demonic Character with a Twist

What elevates The Spiral above your typical genre fare is how it uses its supernatural element as a mirror to human behavior. Valeria Bruni Tedeschi plays The Stranger, a demonic entity that's both terrifying and oddly endearing — not because she's nice, but because she's so damn entertaining in her cruelty.

"She does truly horrible things, but she does it with a lightness that is also very funny," Strippoli explains. "Sometimes she makes you laugh, but it never takes away from the cruelty of what she's saying."

This duality is where the real horror lies — not in monsters or supernatural forces, but in how people can become monstrous through their own actions and choices. Bruni Tedeschi's performance is a tour de force, capturing that perfect balance between menace and mirth.

Jasmine Trinca: A Mother Redefined

And then there's Jasmine Trinca as Anna Colonna, the protagonist who must confront her mother's past. It's a role that stretches far beyond typical maternal tropes — Anna is neither villain nor victim, but a complex figure whose rigid control masks deep-seated fears and insecurities.

"She's deeply empathetic, almost sweet, even when she does and says mean things in movies," Strippoli notes. "She has an empathetic quality that always makes you feel for her, that makes you always love her."

Trinca's interpretation of Anna brings a vulnerability to the role that's essential to the film's emotional core. Her character isn't just about control — she's trying to protect her family from what she sees as a darker fate, even if her methods are deeply flawed.

Not a Horror Film, But a Psychological Thriller

One of the most refreshing things about The Spiral is how Strippoli refuses to box his film into traditional genre categories. When asked whether it's horror or thriller, he firmly states: "No. I never conceived of this as a horror film."

Instead, he sees it as a puzzle — a carefully constructed narrative that reveals itself in layers, with each twist and turn deepening our understanding of the characters and their motivations. The supernatural elements are more symbolic than terrifying; they reflect the internal chaos within the family dynamics.

The Art of Subtext

What makes The Spiral so compelling is how it uses genre conventions not to scare audiences, but to explore deeper themes. The film asks us to question what we mean by love and control — especially in the context of family. It's a story about how our attempts to shape our lives can backfire spectacularly.

As Strippoli puts it: "It's not a horror film, but it works on twists and turns, on revelations. It's a puzzle where the last little piece arrives in the final shot of the film."

A New Voice in Genre Cinema

This isn't Strippoli's first foray into genre filmmaking — he made his directorial debut with A Classic Horror Story on Netflix, followed by Piove, and then The Holy Boy at Venice. Each film has built upon the last, pushing the boundaries of what Italian genre cinema can achieve.

With The Spiral, Strippoli proves he's not just another name in the Italian film industry — he's an artist who understands that horror is ultimately about the human condition, and how we all struggle to find our place in a world that often feels out of our control.

Final Thoughts

The Spiral is more than just a thriller — it's a meditation on the weight of family secrets, the complexity of maternal love, and the dangerous line between protection and control. It's a film that lingers long after the credits roll, leaving you questioning not only what happened to Anna and Alice, but how far we might go to protect those we love.

As someone who's always fascinated by how genre films can be used as vehicles for deeper storytelling, I'm thrilled to see Strippoli continuing to push boundaries in ways that are both entertaining and thought-provoking. The Spiral is a reminder that sometimes the scariest monsters aren't the ones we can see — they're the ones we carry inside ourselves.