Spiral is a well-acted, intense thriller about a lonely, delusional young man trying to overcome his powerful inner demons. In the starring role of Mason, Joel Moore effectively plays a telephone salesperson whose feelings of anxiety and confusion are intertwined with disturbing flashbacks of his former girlfriend. Mason cringes from most of society. His boss (played by Zachary Levi), an arrogant womanizer who knows the circumstances of Mason's tragic past, is his only friend. Gradually, however, Mason builds a relationship with a young female co-worker (played by Amber Tamblyn) who brings out his confidence by encouraging his artistic talents. Yet, Mason's feelings of dread and paranoia are never far away. In fact, deciphering whether Mason's reality is synonymous with truth kept me spellbound throughout the film. The camera work in Spiral is especially outstanding. Sudden, vivid images from Mason's memories take the viewer to his level of turmoil and terror. In addition, shooting this movie in the great city of Portland, Oregon was an excellent choice. The gloominess of the rainy winters fit perfectly with the murky shadows of Mason's mind. The end of the movie has some great twists and surprises for the audience to relish. When all is said and done, Spiral is a wonderfully dark and intense film that holds up to any of today's big-studio thrillers.
