Warning: This article discusses emotional abuse and manipulation.

Alison Brie's new film Spin Me Round has a sinister love interest that she reveals was influenced by some of the men in her life. The romantic partner in question, Nick, (played by Alessandro Nivola) is a restaurant owner with a manipulative streak running through him that would make Machiavelli want to write about him. Brie's character, Amber, gets the opportunity to train in Florence, Italy where she meets Nick, who then pressures her into starting a romantic relationship with him.

Brie's personal experiences play into the writing of the film, and it's apparent that she wants it to be known. Brie mentions that one of Nick's larger offenses is "gaslighting," a manipulation tactic that is often used in relationships to mislead someone or make them question their own thoughts or recollection of events. In Nick's case, he uses it to start a relationship with Amber and try to keep control over her throughout the film, with Amber working her way out from under Nick's abusive hold and into the truth with the help of characters like Aubrey Plaza's Kat.

Related: Spin Me Round Review: Alison Brie Leads Underwhelming Vacation Comedy

Brie noted while talking with Insider that she and co-writer Baena modeled Nick off of men from Brie's past. In addition, she broke down their writing style, saying that the two write best by talking and swapping stories with one another. While the character may be based on Brie's past, she does mention that she won't say anything specific, just that the Spin Me Round is littered with her personal experiences and stories she has about her exes. Brie was quoted as saying the following about Nick:

"But to me, the most sinister aspect of that character is the type of guy who I've encountered, who is handsome and wealthy, and really could have willing participants in flings with him. Like, I think that women are happy to probably have sex with him, no strings attached. But he has a desire to make women fall in love with him. That's part of what gets him off."

spin me round review

In addition to Amber's toxic relationship with Nick, the movie touches on a relationship between Kat and Amber, with it ending when Plaza's character disappears at one point from the film and simply never returns. She joins a cast of several characters who mysteriously vanish throughout the film. The story revolves around Amber and her search for the truth about the "training" she's been sent to, her "romance" with Nick, and the collapse of her once-lauded vacation to the Italian countryside.

The film itself brings to light the very real and hard-to-face issue of emotionally abusive relationships and attempts to tackle it with brevity mixed with mystery and a bit of suspense, but the combination falls slightly flat. The film touts itself as a comedy, but it uses mystery and thriller elements to provide the audience (and Amber) with moments of confusion and shock, causing the comedic moments to feel dampened. This, coupled with the heavy subject matter may leave the film feeling like it's juggling too many plates at once and can make it feel like it isn't taking a serious problem very seriously at all. While Brie's experiences may have shaped Spin Me Round, the tone may undercut the message it seems to be wanting to send.

Next: Community: What Alison Brie Has Done Since The Series Ended

Source: Insider