Spiral (2020) Movie Drinking Game
Do a Shot: for every jump scare
Pound a Beer: if you figure out the twist.
Do a Shot: for every flashback.
Take a Drink: for every horror trope.
By: Movie Snurb (Three Beers) –
In 1995 Aaron and Malik and Aaron’s daughter move out to the country to get out of the big city and enjoy a quieter and more slowed down day to day life. While Aaron works, Malik stays home and does ghost-writing while working on his novel. Weird things begin happening, especially around Malik that he tries to explain to Aaron, but in true horror film fashion Aaron doesn’t believe him and thinks he is crazy. Well, turns out Malik’s suspicions are correct and the twist is actually pretty great for the almost paint by numbers horror film that had unfolded for the previous 60 minutes.
A Toast
The performances all around are solid. They really help sell the film and elevate it from a lame horror film to a solid mystery horror film. Jeffrey Bower-Chapman as Malik is the real standout in this film. He could’ve easily slipped into a caricature of a gay man, but Chapman gives the character of Malik lots of depth and complexity. I loved how richly the characters are written, making them feel believable and like real people.
The depth of the characters is also a tribute to the writing. The script is definitely the other strong point to the film. The first two acts feel familiar, but there are enough new parts to make this film feel fresh. Then, in the last 20 minutes the film takes a sharp left that I did not see coming. This twist was brilliant, not only because I didn’t see it coming, but also the film gives you the pieces to figure it out. So many twists are stupid in the fact that you don’t see them coming, but that is because there is nothing leading to that possible conclusion. We may not find out everything from the villains, but it doesn’t detract from the impact of the ending. It really will stick with you.
Beer Two
I hate when a horror film relies too heavily on jump scares. It comes off as lazy, like when a film relies on using pop music because the film isn’t that great, so the filmmakers use music to try and elevate the mood of the film. Jump scares are a crutch used by young filmmakers because either they can’t pull off the creepy atmosphere or they think the jump scares will land. I feel like they were used too heavily here and most do not land.
Beer Three
I don’t know if it was my screener or if it was the film, but the sound was not great. Mainly the disparity between the talking and the musical score. The dialogue was so quiet and the score was so loud my speakers were cracking. Just a little sound mixing can go a long way.
Verdict
A great twist really elevates this horror film from a middle of the road to a solid entry into the genre. Go check out this new film on Shudder!
