I'm used to liking certain films that seem to engender only a lukewarm response from a majority of viewers, but I have to draw a line in the sand when it comes to Spiral. This is a brilliant film on so many levels, an outre work of cinematic art that marches to the sound of its own uniquely discordant drum, pushing and pulling the viewer to an ending that does not disappoint in the slightest. I will grant the fact that the film moves at a leisurely pace that some might find boring, and people who have lived their whole lives immersed in the "in crowd" might look down their noses at the protagonist without even making an effort to sympathize with (let alone relate to) him, but this is a very human story that cuts far too wide a swath across the emotional landscape to be pigeonholed into any one constraining genre.

Maybe some viewers were expecting more of an actual horror film along the lines of Hatchet, since Spiral reunites co-writer Joel David Moore and co-director Adam Green from that earlier project, but these guys are obviously true filmmakers devoted to their craft and determined to spread their wings rather than settle for churning out one slasher after another.

Spiral's story revolves around Mason (Joel David Moore), a troubled fellow who is so far out of the mainstream he makes me look normal and popular. Our first encounter with him shows just how vulnerable and possibly deranged he is, and this image is further reinforced by the mysterious dark secret lurking behind one of the doors in his apartment and the frightening visions that haunt his dreams. At work, he seems incapable of actually associating with anyone other than his boss and long-time friend Berkeley (Zachary Levi) -- until, that is, a new employee named Amber (Amber Tamlyn) decides to join him on his lonely bench during lunch and strikes up a friendship with him. Amber's a hard nut to crack; spontaneous and outwardly emotional (not to mention hot), she's the very opposite of Mason, yet she obviously likes him despite all of his obvious problems. Their awkward friendship slowly grows into a more meaningful relationship when she begins posing for Mason, who is quite the artist. In fact, art seems to be the one safe refuge that Mason can cling to in life -- actually, safe may not be the right word, for his sketches and paintings reveal troubling portents of obsession.

If you want every little thing explained to you in detail at the end, Spiral may not be your movie, but the whole story makes perfect sense. This is a film that could have ended very badly, but all of the painstaking detail and effort that went into the movie up until that point is more than aptly rewarded with a conclusion that I consider well-nigh perfect (and not necessarily predictable). I was particularly impressed by the symbolism built into the presentation, as it quietly magnifies the significance of everything that happens, especially in the closing moments. The film's jazz soundtrack helps maintain a surreal atmosphere that plays up the whole reality vs. fantasy angle that drives the story along (although it also reminded me just how much I detest light jazz). And all of that stuff about the story progressing so slowly in the beginning -- it's called pacing, and I think it's spot-on in this case. The more you're able to wallow in the dysfunctional lives of these characters, the more effective the shock ending becomes.

In case you can't tell, I love this movie. I think it's a work of multi-faceted brilliance.