Grimmfest (2021) capsule review: ‘The Spore’ floats by with gag-worthy gore.

THE SPORE

The lives of ten strangers intersect through a terrifying chain of events as a mutating fungus begins to spread through a small town wiping out everyone that comes into contact with it.


With undeniable Cabin Fever vibes meeting the reality of this very real global pandemic, THE SPORE is B horror moving making at its finest. Minutes in, I registered my elevated pulse and the first jump scare was a classic. THE SPORE gets everything right. Dreaming In Neon‘s new wave heavy score is ominous and spine-tingling. A great deal of the early terror comes in the form of radio broadcasts, allowing the audience to create their own fear response. Writer-director-editor D.M. Cunningham created a celebratory schlockfest for GRIMMFEST 21 audiences. If I’m being nitpicky, the voice actress who plays the radio reporter at the beginning of the film sounds less like an actual reporter and more like an audiobook actress. That familiar cadence of someone in the field is missing. To be frank, a majority of the acting is B horror quality. In no way does this lessen the overall entertainment value of The Spore. I was constantly yelling at the screen, “Aww, come on! Don’t do that!” The cinematography is fantastic. The makeup and practical FX are gag-worthy. This is one of the best aspects of the film. Huge high fives to the team for giving me plenty of gross goodies to look at.



  • Director:
    D.M Cunningham
  • Screenwriter:
    D.M Cunningham
  • Producer:
    D.M Cunningham, Tara Cunningham, Brian Hillard, Keith Golinksi
  • Cast:
    Haley Heslip, Peter Tell, Jackson Ezinga, Jeannie Jefferies
  • Cinematographer:
    Keith Golinksi
  • Editor:
    D.M Cunningham