Blood, death, and destruction. These and many other horrible things follow a man who aims to have it all. The Spine of Night tells the story of a powerful and sacred plant that, in the wrong hands, brings pain and suffering. As the man grows more powerful, he begins to struggle, and that struggle begins to transcend all of mankind. Will the reign of terror ever end, or will it live on for all eternity?
The Spine of Night is a bloody story that creates a spectacle not for the faint of heart. The film will disgust, scare, antagonize, and frustrate anyone who isn’t prepared for a veritable sea of blood to fill their screen–and I love it. I have a close friend who, for whatever reason, loves when films are filled with blood and gore. I’ve never been able to understand this obsession–until now. While I don’t necessarily condone this sort of violence in film, or believe it’s even necessary in some films, seeing what the team behind The Spine of Night is able to bring to life is incredible. The Spine of Night is an animated film, and with as much as the film has going on, there’s always the risk that things feel out of place or incongruous, but everything, even the abundance of death feels fluid and perfectly executed. The animation is lively, vibrant, and (ironically) welcoming. Seeing an hour of this animation, regardless of the content, would have been enough to warrant this film a positive review, but in addition to the riveting animation, a powerful story exists, propelling the film forward even further.
When I saw the list of names attached to this animated film (Richard E. Grant, Lucy Lawless, Patton Oswalt, etc.) I immediately was filled with excitement. This is an incredible group of actors, but I’m unfamiliar with their voice-acting abilities (with the exception of one minor role by Oswalt), and I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. As always, these actors, and everyone surrounding them “on screen” perform immensely well. I find that when I’m too familiar with an actor outside of an animated setting it can be difficult to suspend disbelief and hear anything other than them–but the abilities of these actors are so incredible, so mind-blowing that they bring each and every character to life with great vigor–entertaining viewers and vibrantly presenting those viewers with a riveting story.
There is an overarching darkness that exists throughout the length of The Spine of Night that intrigues–and each character brings a level of darkness to the film. I’m particularly fond of Tzod (Lawless). She develops wonderfully throughout, she’s the narrator, and she breathes constant life into a film about pain and suffering; and while she plays a key role in bringing these aspects to life–she develops a juxtaposition in mood and tone that keeps things balanced. The voicework of Lawless is a major factor in how well this film plays out and how well audiences receive the content–and she performs at a very high level.
The attention to detail present in The Spine of Night is impressive. But what is even more impressive is the fact that nearly everything plays out incredibly well. The content is riveting, the animation is beautiful, and the voice acting is nothing short of perfect. As each and every aspect of the film combines to create something tremendous, viewers are exposed to a film with Oscar potential–and it certainly deserves the praise.
Written & Directed by Philip Gelatt & Morgan Galen King.
Starring Richard E. King, Lucy Lawless, Patton Oswalt, Betty Gabriel, Joe Manganiello, Patrick Breen, Larry Fessenden, Jason Gore, Maggie Lakis, Tom Lipinski, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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