Overview
- The Spiral, Paolo Strippoli’s fourth feature, had its world premiere in Venice’s main Competition and played to an enthusiastic crowd, receiving a prolonged standing ovation on Monday.
- Critics praised Jasmine Trinca’s turn as the troubled mother and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi’s trenchcoat-clad Stranger for their commanding performances while noting some narrative and character-depth weaknesses.
- The film frames a Faustian bargain that explores bourgeois vanity, Catholic guilt and parental ambition through stylized horror imagery without revealing plot resolutions.
- Industry coverage reports that Paris-based Le Pacte is handling international sales, the film will screen next in Toronto’s Midnight Madness, and 01 Distribution has scheduled an Italian theatrical release for Oct. 8.
- Observers say the Venice reception and high-concept premise make the title likely to attract U.S. distribution interest and remake talks, a common outcome for festival-friendly elevated-genre films.