The Spine of Night

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1:52

The Spine of Night

2021

1h 34m

Fantasy

Horror

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

70 Reviews

64%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

In THE SPINE OF NIGHT, an ultra-violent fantasy epic, ancient dark magic falls into sinister hands and unleashes ages of suffering onto mankind. A group of heroes from different eras and cultures must band together in order to defeat it at all costs.

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Critics Consensus

With a hard fantasy story that stands in service of its eye-catching animation, The Spine of Night is a distinctive treat for genre enthusiasts.

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Kambole Campbell

Empire Magazine

Mar 23, 2022

4/5

The Spine Of Night is here to satiate the cravings of those who miss a particular brand of animated storytelling, updated with added psychedelic fervour and plenty of extra-gnarly bloodshed.

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Leslie Felperin

Guardian

Mar 22, 2022

3/5

A heady, fizzy mix that’s very watchable, probably even more so for viewers open to the use of chemical assistance.

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

Nov 4, 2021

3/4

"Spine" is a throwback to the go-for-broke days of "Heavy Metal," but unlike that multistoried fantasy this one tells a cohesive tale.

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Anya Couture

Geek Vibes Nation

Jul 26, 2025

Unfortunately it ultimately fails to provide a meaningful commentary through the use of any authentic lens through which to attack issues left dormant in Bakshi’s work, of imposed sexuality, colonialism, or disenfranchisement.

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Paul Klein

FILMHOUNDS Magazine

Jul 5, 2024

3/5

The primary audience for a film of this nature, and one suspects writer-director duo Philip Gelatt and Morgan Galen King knows this, is probably those who enjoy getting high and watching madness unfurl.

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Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

Oct 3, 2023

It’s an unabashed celebration of Ralph Bakshi, Frank Frazetta, steam punk, and heavy metal...

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Roberto D

@RT42784263 Oct 19, 2025

Um verdadeiro sopro de ar fresco para as animações acidentais sinto como se tivesse visto uma fantasia medieval escrita pelo próprio Lovecraft onde todo conhecimento é perigoso e deve ser ocultado inclusive daquele que assiste. Ansioso para ver mais sobre esse mundo mesmo sabendo que ele nunca me trará respostas só mais e mais perguntas.

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Diet Dr. Paul .

@RT85301401 Jul 9, 2025

I really wanted to like this, but it felt very unfinished - from the animation style to the dialogue and its execution. It’s not exactly terrible but it felt like someone was desperately trying to recreate Heavy Metal.

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Nick W

@NickWalker Mar 8, 2025

This animated dark fantasy was a true work of art - gorgeous rotoscoped animation, epic storyline and intense action scenes. 10/10 Highly recommended.

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Damian M

@RT52801145 Feb 11, 2025

If Joel Haver and his friends played a dungeons and dragons campaign and turned it into a movie. So much fun, the action, the characters, and this is an epic. The director has some pretty impressive accolades as well.

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Alex V

@APVeres85 Sep 8, 2024

A must-see for fantasy nerds

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Oaklee D

@ODie63 Aug 5, 2024

i thought it was a bit out there.

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The Spine of Night: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

In THE SPINE OF NIGHT, an ultra-violent fantasy epic, ancient dark magic falls into sinister hands and unleashes ages of suffering onto mankind. A group of heroes from different eras and cultures must band together in order to defeat it at all costs.

Director: Philip Gelatt, Morgan Galen King
Producer: Will Battersby, Philip Gelatt, Jean Rattle
Screenwriter: Philip Gelatt, Morgan Galen King
Distributor: RLJE Films
Production Co: Reno Productions, Gorgonaut
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 29, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 29, 2021
Runtime: 1h 34m

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