Spiral: From The Book of Saw Movie Review

 

Spiral marks overall the ninth installment in the Saw franchise and the first one to be released since Jigsaw in 2017. This new sequel sets place in the same universe, but with a slightly new twist to it, this time with a new Jigsaw killer. I'm not necessarily like an avid fan of the Saw universe by any means, but I do really love that 2004 original film, and I've even enjoyed a few of the numerous of sequels (Saw II, Saw III, and Saw VI to be more specific), so I have actually been really looking forward to this film. The trailers have had the promise of at least something of a new direction for the franchise, but mostly it was the casting of two high profile names such as Chris Rock & Samuel L. Jackson that really grabbed my curiosity with this one. Seeing both of these actors involved certainly adds more gravitas than the average Saw sequel would come with. And now after seeing Spiral, I can say it's more of the same and doesn't necessarily offer much originality for the very long running series, but it does I believe breathe new life for a franchise that very much needs it and is one of the strongest entries overall.

For any Saw fan looking for some very creative deaths and neat traps with this new installment, this new sequel certainly delivers upon that promise. It's not necessarily the scariest entry by any means, nor are the traps here the most original, but the film certainly delivers upon the promise of lots of blood and deaths that will surely make you squirm a bit in your seat. I really enjoyed the opening sequence of this film, and would even go as far as to say it's one of my favorite openings for the series. Director Darren Lynn Bousman (who also previously directed Saw 2,3, and 4) clearly has as good of a understanding of this world as any other previous director in the franchise has had and is aware of exactly what its legions of fans want to see. Even more so than any of the other installments, this film is very much a detective story and though it is a very formulaic one at that, I think this angle certainly really works for this universe. It makes for great entertainment as an audience member just trying to piece together this mystery ourselves. 

As for the new additions to the cast, this is obviously a bit of a different role for Chris Rock, as I don't believe I've ever seen him do a horror film before. But, while Rock may at first feel like he's overcooking it a tad, I thought he settled in this role very nicely and ultimately it was really fun for me seeing him in something this different. Samuel L. Jackson is Samuel L. Jackson here and obviously that's not a bad thing. Max Minghella does really nice work as Chris Rock's new partner. Nobody here is giving Oscar caliber work obviously, but they all know exactly what kind of film they are in and sell these roles well. 

No Saw film is flawless however, and Spiral certainly does not break that trend by any means. It's a sequel that delivers upon more of the same which isn't necessarily a bad thing per say, but it also means the film does very little to truly distinguish itself from other installments, despite this already being the 9th film. It's certainly formulaic and for anyone whose seen the previous films, you're not going to exactly be very surprised with any of the story beats the film throws at you. As I already said, the detective angle works, but it's also so run of the mill and offers hardly any genuine surprises. There's a few reveals throughout the film that were so obviously telegraphed early on, one major one in particular I pretty much correctly guessed immediately, making for not a bad ending necessarily, but definitely a very predictable one. Some of the dialogue and character work also leaves bit more to be desired, but honestly, if these elements are why you are going to see a new Saw film, then you're doing it wrong.

Those flaws aside though, speaking strictly as a casual fan of the Saw franchise, Spiral very much overall is a pretty worthy sequel that delivers upon the promises that is expected from this franchise. It may not reinvent the series by any means, but it does present a nice return to form after we've had so many bad sequels while also setting up some potentially very interesting new directions the series go from here. With its solid cast, well crafted direction, and many, many deaths, it's a fun & bloody ride that should satisfy the legion of fans of this series. It's out only in theaters right now, so if you're a fan of these films and feel safe enough in making the trip, the film comes with a recommendation from me.

Final Grade: B-