Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- eerie
- claustrophobic
- foreboding
- late night horror viewing
- halloween marathon
What critics said
Critics found the film decently stylish and genre-competent but undermined by predictable, cliché-ridden writing and an underwhelming payoff.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The protagonist is stranded in rural Appalachia and subjected to an occult ritual rooted in local supernatural practice.
Marquis awakens wounded inside Eloise's attic and must escape while she controls his treatment and movement.
Eloise creates the Boogity from Marquis's blood and skin to manipulate and threaten him.
The plot uses a Hoodoo figure, faith-healing imagery, and a sinister ceremony as the central source of occult menace.
Films like Spell, and why
The Skeleton Key
backwoods supernatural horror, captivity, and folk-magic menace
The Blair Witch Project
isolated rural setting, occult ritual, and escalating psychological dread
The Reaping
family survival thriller shaped by supernatural forces and religious belief
Misery
confined escape narrative involving occult manipulation and bodily vulnerability
Movie Details
- Director
- Mark Tonderai
- Release Date
- 2020-10-30
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (472)
Cast
- Omari Hardwick
- Loretta Devine
- John Beasley
- Peter Butler
- Lorraine Burroughs
- André Jacobs
- Tumisho Masha
- Ri-Karlo Handy
- Hannah Gonera
- Kalifa Burton
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Plex
- Buy
- Apple TV Store
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Spell about?
- After a plane crash strands him in Appalachia, a wounded father must escape an occult healer's attic and stop a blood-moon ritual targeting his family.
- What is Spell like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Spell as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Spell violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Spell as brutal.
- What did critics think of Spell?
- Critics found the film decently stylish and genre-competent but undermined by predictable, cliché-ridden writing and an underwhelming payoff.
- Which films are like Spell?
- Films with a similar feel include The Skeleton Key, The Blair Witch Project, The Reaping, and Misery.
- How long is Spell?
- Spell runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch Spell?
- In United States, Spell streams on Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
