Spiral: From the Book of Saw

Film

May 17

After a 4-year wait since the last addition to the Saw franchise, Spiral: From the Book of Saw breaths a new life into the franchise with Darren Lynn Bousman returning to the director's chair after a 14-year break from the franchise following Saw IV. Breaking away from the story of John Kramer (Tobin Bell) and jumping years into the future when a new Jigsaw copycat killer begins to target a police station leaving Detective Ezekiel "Zeke" Banks (Chris Rock) to find who is behind these attacks before it is too late; Spiral is arguably the most serious and politically relevant entry in the franchise to dates but never loses sight of the roots that made the series a fan favorite for nearly 2-decades.

The immediate thing that might catch even the more casual Saw fans off guard within Spiral is its more serious approach to storytelling compared to anything to come before it in the franchise. Since the original Saw back in 2004, the franchise has quickly developed an identity in drawing out its story with incredibly stupid plot developments and twists that clearly understand that they are not going to be competing for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars anytime soon. Where this tongue-in-cheek style of dark comedy isn't completely lost within Spiral, the heart of the film belongs to a more serious detective drama with the character of Zeke at the center of it all.

Zeke has struggled to find connections or support within the department ever since him ratting out a crooked cop served as an event of social diastrophism. Those who are supposed to be there for Zeke fail to answer his calls for backup or believe in his ability to be a leader which causes Zeke to shake alone under the pressure of living up to his father and esteemed police legend Marcus Banks (Samuel L. Jackson). This new copycat killer has seemingly chosen Zeke as the center focus of his taunts and Zeke is quick to accept this role considering he doesn't trust anyone else to do a good job and considering this is a chance for him to step up into the role he is desperate for. Already on paper, this clearly is one of the most well-established and layered plots to ever grace a Saw film but the film also carries this mindset in its execution. Director Darren Lynn Bousman promised that Spiral would focus more on the story than the blood and the film does exactly that. For one of the first times in the franchise, the film is quick to pull away from the various traps and moments of bloodshed to allow Zeke and the various cast of characters he is surrounded with the chance to breathe and attempt to hook the audience into the deeper story at play.

Where there is some success found in these attempts, there also are clear flaws that prevent the film from ever being as accomplished as it hopes to be. The first being Chris Rock. Rock purposefully wanted this role to prove his chops as a more serious and dramatic actor yet struggles to break out of his classic charismatic humor that he is known for. In moments of tension, Rock almost by default will begin to overact, making his character not just feel less effective than it should but also feel rather out of place in the film's complicated identity. This identity is the other major point of contention. Where Spiral tries to break out of the previously established Saw identity, it also decides to keep one foot in the camp and stupidity the series is known for never taking the full jump into drama to truly elevate the overall project. For better or for worse, Spiral is still a Saw film at heart which will both disappoint and relieve some audiences.

Where this sense of identity might hurt the experience for those hoping to see some truly elevated and layered piece of cinema, for the die-hard Saw fan it is hard to call the film a failure. There is something oddly charming as the first horribly executed blood splatter falls around its surroundings towards the start of the film immediately promising that the Saw franchise that fans have come to know and love still lives within this film. As pictures of John Kramer and the iconic score pop up throughout the film's clean 93-minute runtime, it is hard not to feel a sense of nostalgia and fan service that helps make the film a wildly fun ride at times despite its more focused and crafted sense of storytelling. It wouldn't be Saw without traps and Spiral doesn't disappoint. Where the actual focus on and number of traps might be lesser, each feels creative and when paired with the classic Saw editing really does the job.

The other key piece of the Saw formula is the twist. While this is going to be a completely spoiler-free review, it is worth speaking to the twist that lays towards the film’s end as Zeke gets closer and closer to finding the identity of the Jigsaw copycat. While the film presents multiple options for who could be this killer, as with the weaker episodes of Scooby-Doo Where Are You!, It feels rather clear what direction they will end up taking and the film doesn't sway far from what most individuals' natural prediction will be. The key element to point out however is how the film handles itself after the reveal. Where predictable, the twist and follow-through of it is able to overcome its predictiveness by justifying itself with some genuinely decent thematic weight. Even as this reveal is exposed, it feels like the actual conclusion of the film could go in multiple directions which helps pull the audience in for the final few twists and turns that the film carries.

For those hoping for Spiral to completely reinvent the Saw franchise, disappointment is bound to be found. Instead however, it feels like Spiral is clearly on the right track to instead perfect what this franchise could be going forward while keeping what made so many fall in love with the franchise to begin with. Going a step further than Saw VI which attempted to accomplish a similar task; Spiral carries a genuinely intriguing moral message that is relevant to modern society and which even holds the potential to push some audiences. This message never gets too serious or deep due to the film's more gory and over-the-top elements, but the film isn't trying to be a full drama either. It still wants to hold that Saw identity and succeeds. It might be a messy first try at truly perfecting this delicate balance, but the crew behind Spiral clearly is willing to give it their best go, and with more editions in the franchise on the way; it is entirely possible that they are able to one-up themselves and eventually find that perfect balance in the near future. Where Jigsaw tried to say Game Over to the franchise, Spiral proves that there are more levels of this game to explore.