From director Darren Lynn Bousman, the man behind Saw II, III, and IV, Spiral is a 2021 horror thriller described as a re-imaging of the popular Saw franchise. The film tells the story of detective Zeke Banks and his rookie partner who take charge of an investigation into grisly murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city's gruesome past. Living in the shadow of his father and dealing with a checkered past, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer's morbid game. The film stars Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson, Marisol Nichols, and Max Minghella. Spiral made it’s theatrical debut on May 14th courtesy of Lionsgate.
The Saw franchise entered our lives 17 years ago from a script by James Wan and Leigh Whannel, with Wan directing. A year later Darren Lynn Bousman took over the directors chair with Saw II, based on a script he co-wrote along with Whannel. Bousman went on to direct Saw III (2006) and Saw IV (2007), but stepped away from the franchise after that. He has returned with the newest entry Spiral, originally titled Spiral: From the Book of Saw, written by Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger, the two behind 2017’s Jigsaw.
THE GOOD
Love it or hate it, the Saw franchise always makes it a point to stick to its roots and I respect that. I have been a fan of the franchise since the original, and even though some of the sequels were a bit repetitive and started to lack backstory, I still enjoyed them. Now here we are in 2021, 5+ months removed from the nightmare year that was 2020 and we have another saw movie - perfect timing if you ask me. Spiral more or less starts from scratch within the same Saw Universe with the memory of the infamous serial killer John Kramer, known as The Jigsaw Killer, fresh in the minds of the public and law enforcement.
Before I get off track, I really enjoyed Spiral. It was packed full of nostalgia for fans of the franchise from the signature murder traps to the unique directing style thanks to Bousman’s return. The film carves out a brand new backstory with lots of depth and twists and turns which has been a trademark of the franchise for the earlier films, as well as the most recent entry Jigsaw. The cast has plenty of talent and recognizable faces, most notably Samuel L. Jackson and comedian/actor Chris Rock.
Jackson is great as always, and I actually thought they did a great job with Rock’s character. Once the film and the cast were announced I know we all had questions about the decision to put comedian first actor second Chris Rock in a lead role in a film like this, myself included, but I was pleased with the end result. He is not some stone cold Shaft like character in the detective world, and he retains his skillful delivery of hilarious one-liners. He had me laughing quite a bit especially earlier on. His character is actually a bright spot in the movie, and I for one am glad he was a part of it. Oh and Marisol Nichols (24, Riverdale) who plays Captain Angie Garza, is absolutely gorgeous. I also really liked Max Minghella from The Handmaid’s Tale who had a prominent role.
Hardcore Saw fans care about the trademark kills, and they can rest assured that they worked hard to make these feel fresh and new. First of all, they aren’t shy with the blood and gore that’s for damn sure. I won’t give anything away of course, but if you watched the trailer you’ll know that the mess on the train tracks is just the beginning. What I always enjoyed most about the Saw movies ever since the original were the predicaments the victims find themselves in. I mean I’d rather not find myself in a situation where I either cut off my own arm or die, but it did happen to James Franco in 127 Hours so I guess crazier things have happened. The thrill is on full display in Spiral and I was definitely on the edge of my seat and feeling real nervous at the right times. Either way, don’t piss off Jigsaw or anyone who idolizes him because you’ll end up having a really, really bad day.
I enjoyed the score and soundtrack which gave Spiral a hard-hitting feel right from the start, with an original song from 21 Savage and the music and score from Charlie Clouser, who also worked on Jigsaw. It had a concrete jungle feel to it which fit with the setting and premise of the film. The score and soundtrack are too often overlooked these days if you ask me, so it is always something I can appreciate.
THE BAD
All things considered I don’t have a ton of complaints about Spiral, but it certainly wasn’t perfect. With that being said, unlike many of the naïve and oblivious critics, I knew what to expect. Criticizing a Saw movie for having too much gore is like giving The Conjuring a bad rating for being too scary, it makes zero sense. Although the acting was easily one of the films strengths, it still proved to be a weakness at times. I really liked Chris Rock’s character but his delivery in some of the more dramatic scenes left something to be desired. His bread and butter is toeing the line of someone with thick skin and a propensity for vulgar humor, and they did stray from that more often than I would have preferred although it was necessary to drive the story. I also felt like most of the supporting cast was hit or miss.
The story was absolutely a strength of the film as well, but I did feel like they missed out on a few opportunities to dig deeper into a fairly complex backstory. The twist is worth it in the end, but you can’t help but feel like certain aspects were rushed or not fully unpacked.
THE VERDICT
With a killer soundtrack, plenty of great one-liners thanks to Chris Rock, and enough gore to satisfy it’s loyal fanbase, Spiral is a more than worthy revival for a storied franchise. Whether you are a fan of the original films or not, as long as you can stomach the blood and gore I suggest you see this in theaters - it packs a punch. It brings enough for those looking for a good crime thriller, and the “predicaments” the victims found themselves in gave me chills more than a few times. I’m looking forward to the inevitable sequel.
TED TAKES RATING - 7/10
Spiral is now playing only in theaters. Check out the trailer below.