Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
Working in the shadow of an esteemed police veteran, brash Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks and his rookie partner take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past. Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer’s morbid game.
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3 films that influenced Spiral: From the Book of Saw
What critics say influenced Spiral: From the Book of Saw
The pig puppet dressed in a police uniform pulverizes the nail on the head, while the grimy, color-coded references to “Se7en” just remind us of what “Spiral” isn’t: enthralling or suspenseful.
In 1995, David Fincher’s Se7en also paired a hardened detective with an up-and-coming rookie, and tasked them with solving a series of murders linked by intricate riddles and a collective theme.
Instead of a strictly ninth Saw flick, they give you something from the Book of Saw, mixing 48 Hours and Se7en with the perfect amount of echoes of the iconic horror series.
Personally, the film felt like a great opportunity to branch out with a SE7EN -style film that could take some chances to expand the Saw universe while pushing the talented cast.
The series has always indulged in frothy police procedural nonsense but never more enthusiastically than here, which with the lavish cinematography and production quality that a $20 million budget allows, is superficially easy to accept as a contemporary riff on Se7en by way of Training Day.
The latest installment bears more in common with Se7en than Saw , which might prove polarizing for longtime fans.
The original Saw , which was directed by James Wan, prefigured what David Edelstein odiously referred to as ‘torture porn’.
In the end, however, Spiral still can’t hold a candle to 2004’s Saw .
The ninth instalment since the original Saw movie in 2004, Spiral is the first in the franchise not to feature Tobin Bell as John Kramer/Jigsaw, signposting a much-needed refresh for the beloved yet faltering horror series.
Spiral has “From the Book of Saw” as an optional add-on to make sure audiences know we’re back in the world made famous by James Wan and Leigh Whannell, and shaped into a template by director Darren Lynn Bousman, who has returned to direct this ninth installment.
This broad movement of American horror film rapidly expanded in 2005 through the release of Eli Roth’s Hostel , along with Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects , Greg McLean’s Wolf Creek and, of course, Darren Lynn Bousman’s Saw II .
Director Darren Lynn Bousman, who made his feature debut with 2005’s Saw II , and also helmed the III and IV editions – I guess the producers want to pretend they have a serious offering with all the Roman numerals they used for the first five sequels, released annually each October through 2009 – hasn’t had much traction outside of this tool set.
Maybe it’s because Spiral brings back both Saw II, III and IV director Darren Lynn Bousman and the Jigsaw writing team, but the would-be reboot is just wandering the same worn circle.
Though Spiral is structured differently than most of its predecessors, it still looks like a Saw movie, thanks to returning director Darren Lynn Bousman from Saw II , III , and IV.
“Spiral” is directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (“Saw II,” “Saw III” and “Saw IV”) and written by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger (“Jigsaw”).
After a 14 year absence from the Saw franchise, director Darren Lynn Bousman (director of Saw II , III , and IV ) returns with Spiral .