Spiral 2018

In the 1980s, a poignant moment unfolds as two young boys share a kiss in the back of a car, only to be abruptly interrupted by another vehicle approaching. Fast forward to the present day, where Aaron and Malik, along with their daughter Kayla, move into a new home. As they cross a bridge, a strange event occurs when something resembling a bird collides with their windshield, leaving a mysterious spiral mark.

That night, while Kayla is in her room, Aaron and Malik have a conversation. Unbeknownst to them, a cloaked figure lurks outside their house. The following morning, Malik wakes up alone and begins unpacking their belongings. Among the items, he finds a computer and starts working on a biography of a conservative individual who upholds traditional family values. In the process, he discovers a pair of glasses that belonged to the other boy he kissed years ago. During a garbage run, Malik notices a man named Reinhart who stares at him silently before leaving.

As nighttime approaches, Malik is awakened by strange noises. He explores the house but finds nothing amiss. The morning following his restless night, he trims a branch that had been tapping against the window. Their neighbor Tiffany visits with flowers and soon recognizes that they are a gay couple. Meanwhile, Kayla is busy preparing her resume, while Malik works on his biography. During a jog, Malik discovers graffiti inside their home with the derogatory word “Faggots.” Flashbacks reveal the trauma from his past, showing the other boy screaming as a vehicle approached.

That night, while covering up the offensive graffiti, they celebrate Kayla’s new job as a dancer. However, Reinhart is seen watching them from outside. A surreal atmosphere descends when Malik realizes that a family photo has mysteriously vanished. He expresses his frustration over the persisting societal stigma regarding homosexuality and reveals his installation of a security system to Aaron, who arrives shortly thereafter. Distraught about the alarm system, they attend a neighbor’s party, where Malik spots Reinhart again—though he disappears when Malik next looks.

Later, Malik finds himself once more awake at night, gripping a bat as he hears unnerving noises. When he checks the living room, he spots a shadowy figure watching from outside before it runs away as the alarm blares. Curiosity leads Malik outside, where Reinhart hands him a note before pretending to search for lost keys. Malik’s unease grows, particularly when Kayla befriends Tiffany’s son, and he discovers the eerie group of figures across the street, swaying rhythmically.

As the days roll on, more strangeness unfolds. Reinhart is found dead, with Marshall and Tiffany explaining that a ritual was performed for him. Amid the mounting tension, Malik enters Reinhart’s house and encounters Matthew, Reinhart’s nephew, who reveals troubling family secrets about mental instability and an alleged suicide. Meanwhile, Malik and Aaron grapple with increasing paranoia and nightmares, as Malik begins to decipher a cryptic note filled with dates reminiscent of past tragedies in the neighborhood.

The night grows darker as Malik uncovers sinister links between the history of violence in the community and his own life, feeling the oppressive gaze of their neighbors weighing heavily on him. He recalls a fierce incident where Liam, his companion from yesteryear, met a tragic fate, and the sleepless nights gradually erode his sanity. Fast forward to a disturbing party at Tiffany and Marshall’s, where Malik desperately seeks his family amid chilling underlying motives.

As chaos ensues, Malik finds himself in deep peril, confronting the darkness of their existence and the town’s hidden tribulations. In a heart-wrenching turn, Marshall reveals the tragic conclusion that Malik is destined to repeat the cycle of violence and pain. The atmosphere thickens with horror and dread as the narrative twists into a gripping crescendo where the past’s ghosts haunt the present, leading to a tragically abrupt and chilling aftermath.

Ultimately, Malik is left in prison, and as he recalls those fateful days, the film closes on a haunting note, emphasizing the struggle for hope amid devastation, leaving viewers to ponder, “Hope is never silent.”