Buenos Aires, 1985. It’s the one-year anniversary of a catwalk fire, which took the life of renowned supermodel Alexis Carpenter (Camilla Pizzo). Lucia L’uccello (Silvia Montanari), editor of a fashion magazine, wants to commemorate the anniversary and honour Alexis, with the help of two supermodels she’s chosen. The night before the photo shoot, Alexis’ original dresses are stolen, and people involved in the business start to vanish.

From the synth-score to the gorgeous colours which fill the screen, what the filmmakers have made is a loving homage to Giallo. The influences are made loud and clear, as we see books on Alfred Hitchcock, a character is named after Lucio Fulci, and a prop resembles one from Dario Argento’s Suspiria. There’s a genuine love for the sub-genre from Ezequiel Endelman and Leandro Montejano, this films screenwriters and directors, and that shines through the final product.

What sets the plot in motion is Alexis Carpenter, the famed fashion model and self-interested diva. From early on, we see her ego in terrifying form, believing her status gives her an excuse to act venomous to her colleagues. She casts a large shadow even in death, with her words haunting the characters just as much as the murderer. Stylised as a mannequin, the antagonist is a striking figure with a vicious bloodlust, and an attire that brings to mind Brian De Palma’s Dressed To Kill.

The closest thing we have to a protagonist is Eva, one of the models who’s helping to commemorate the anniversary. She’s referred to as cold and distant, while only speaking to make her colleagues uncomfortable. We’re told this twice, but what we see of the character says otherwise, especially with how much she speaks to others. Maybe it’s to do with Anahí Politi’s performance, but she comes off as more likeable than her reputation implies. Despite this contradiction, Eva is a compelling figure to follow.

Over the 82-minute runtime, the plot moves along with great efficiency. There’s no interest in taking things slowly, but it can feel like the already short runtime is being padded out. A musical performance is an example of this. By the time things reach their end, it feels like a mish-mash of assorted ideas, not of all of which work together. In spite of this, we’re still given a fun film, and a loving tribute to Giallo.

​Something is rotten in the United States and it is proving a bountiful source of inspiration for the horror genre. Following in the footsteps of the likes of Get Out and Hereditary, Spiral is a fascinating watch with much to say about the state of America. It is this proliferation of ideas that ultimately gets in the way of the film living up to its potential. So while the film never quite finds a balance between the cerebral and the visceral it is nevertheless a compelling piece worth seeking out.

The latest film from director Kurtis David Harder (he also produced What Keeps You Alive and Harpoon), the narrative follows a same sex couple who move to a small town in the mid-90s and set out to make a life for themselves in their new community. But things (as can be expected) aren’t quite what they seem and the family slowly comes undone, as prejudices come out and unseen forces begin to have an effect.

There is much to admire here with a film with a lot on its mind and a finger firmly on the pulse of American culture. Although set 15 years ago, Spiral feels firmly like it is speaking to audiences today, offering a perspective rarely seen in genre cinema. An effective script from Colin Minihan (one half of The Vicious Brothers) and John Pliquin establishes a likeable set of characters that manages to ground a film that can, at times, become unwieldly with what it is exploring. Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman and Ari Cohen as our central couple have a warm, lived-in chemistry, with each performer bringing depth and emotional nuisance to their roles. Jennifer Laporte is particularly captivating as the couple’s daughter and you could easily watch the trio interact and play off each other for the film’s entire run time.

It is this reason why Spiral’s first act feels the most effective. But as proceedings complicate and the film dabbles with horror subgenres the narrative feels on shakier ground. It takes too long to reach its reveal and leaves not enough of its runtime to explore it. And yet, once the climax hits and Harder’s film plays its final hand it leaves an impression that lingers long after the credits. The horror lands a punch and you wish there had been more time to properly wallow in it.

Exquisitely shot by horror staple Bradley Stuckel (Still/Born, Z) Spiral is a haunting watch, with an atmosphere that prickles the hairs on the back of your neck. Giving a voice to concerns rarely raised in the horror genre, it is a commendable piece even if it doesn’t quite all come together. But when the film works it is one of the most interesting of the last few years.

​There are occasions you come to review a film and you’re not quite sure what to say. Some films offer little to talk about. Others offer too much and you approach them nervously, afraid to divulge an excess of information that will detract from the viewing experience. The latter is the case with 1BR, David Marmor’s intriguing, occasionally infuriating and, yet, always interesting horror thriller. With a smattering of exciting shorts under his belt Marmor shows an ambition and scope beyond his film’s intimate setting. It might not all click together, but 1BR is one of the most fascinating genre works of recent years.

The film follows Sarah as she moves to LA and sets up home in an apartment complex. Her neighbours are friendly but the strain is getting to her with a broken relationship with her father and the mundanity of a temp job weighing her down. And then the strange occurrences begin to happen.

And that is where I will leave the synopsis as the film takes a number of left turns as it treads unfamiliar territory. And this is what makes 1BR such an engaging watch, as it often wrongfoots the viewer, throwing in complex ideas and rarely adhering to the expected genre trappings. While Marmor’s film never quite hits the heights of similarly-themed The Invitation, it is clearly influenced by this work, all the way down to its final moments. And the smack of real-life details makes this an always captivating film.

1BR is the kind of genre piece that can only be successful thanks to its ensemble, who give committed turns building into an uneasy atmosphere that crackles with tension. Nicole Brydon Bloom’s lead performance is fascinating, with Bloom’s expressive face enhancing the more shocking moments. Her Sarah is a sympathetic figure throughout, even if the narrative can occasionally trap her in positions that frustrate. But really Bloom is the only well-rounded figure in the film, with the rest of the characters feeling almost two-dimensional by necessity of the film’s nature.

Precisely crafted, packed with compelling themes and with keen ability to unsettle, Marmor’s debut marks him as a talent to keep an eye on as he shapes an expected woman-in-peril thriller into something altogether more original. 1BR fits nicely into a growing movement of films that show a disquiet with our modern urban life, managing to find something to say on the matter. If it doesn’t always click together, it is always a compelling work, one that makes me glad I don’t have to rent an apartment in LA.