“The Spiral” by Paolo Strippoli
Chicago International Film Festival
They were the envy of everyone in Bari, Italy: The ideal couple, beautiful and successful, living in a tastefully appointed estate with an aspiring model and actress daughter and a soccer star son. That is, until a single tragedy leads to a Faustian bargain with a mysterious stranger, spiraling into a life of mounting catastrophe. Framed by a confession from matriarch Anna to her estranged daughter Alice, the latest twisted fable from The Holy Boy (2025 ChicagoIFF) director Paolo Strippoli chronicles the misfortunes befalling each member of this once-idyllic family and the high cost of maintaining a facade of perfection.
Visually striking and genuinely harrowing, The Spiral boasts a four-part narrative structure that elegantly balances a palpable sense of mounting dread with incisive social critique alongside masterfully chilling performances. This not-to-be-missed return from a Festival alum leaves audiences questioning their own notions of what it means to live well—and the many sacrifices that it requires.
Language: Italian
Run Time: 115 minutes
Genres: Family Affairs – Horror – Social Commentary – Thriller
Screenings
- Tue, Oct 20 @ 5:15pm at AMC NEWCITY 14, 1500 N Clybourn Ave, Chicago, IL 60610, Screen 04
- Wed, Oct 21 @ 5:00pm at AMC NEWCITY 14, 1500 N Clybourn Ave, Chicago, IL 60610, Screen 05
The 62nd Chicago International Film Festival returns this year on October 14–25!
The Chicago International Film Festival, the longest-running competitive film festival in North America, brings over 150 films from around the world to Chicago. For 12 days, approximately 45,000 film lovers come together to discover extraordinary films, meet filmmakers and artists, and engage in conversations and events that celebrate diverse stories, perspectives, and the shared experience of cinema. As every year, Italian cinema will have a special place at the festival, with several Italian films featured in this year’s lineup.