The Spine of Night

Play trailer

1:52

The Spine of Night

2021

1h 34m

Fantasy

Horror

Animation

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

70 Reviews

63%

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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Kambole Campbell

Empire Magazine

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.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 23, 2022

Full Review

Leslie Felperin

Guardian

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

Rated: 3/5

Mar 22, 2022

Full Review

Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

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

Rated: 3/4

Nov 4, 2021

Full Review

Anya Couture

Geek Vibes Nation

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.

Jul 26, 2025

Full Review

Paul Klein

FILMHOUNDS Magazine

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.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 5, 2024

Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

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

Oct 3, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Roberto D

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.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/19/25

Full Review

Diet Dr. Paul .

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.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

07/09/25

Full Review

Nick W

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

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/08/25

Full Review

Damian M

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.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/25

Full Review

Alex V

A must-see for fantasy nerds

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/08/24

Full Review

Oaklee D

i thought it was a bit out there.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/05/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Philip Gelatt

Director

Morgan Galen King

Director

Richard E. Grant

The Guardian

Lucy Lawless

Tzod

Patton Oswalt

Lord Pyrantin

Betty Gabriel

Phae-Agura

Mad God

92%

69%

Mad God

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Mad God

Wild Eyed and Wicked

80%

51%

Wild Eyed and Wicked

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Wild Eyed and Wicked

To Your Last Death

73%

68%

To Your Last Death

Watchlist

Attack of the Demons

55%

%

Attack of the Demons

Watchlist

Frank & Zed

96%

%

Frank & Zed

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The Spine of Night: Trailer 1

1:52

View more videos

View more photos

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

Most Popular at Home Now