Spiral, sometimes referred to with the subtitle “From The Book Of Saw,” is the ninth film in the Saw franchise. Spearheaded by executive producer and star, Chris Rock, it serves as a relative standalone picture that doesn’t detach from the continuity of the previous films, as far as I’m aware. I’m not a big follower of this franchise, and I don’t recall much from the ones that I’ve seen aside from the first, which I remember holding up well. While there are probably a lot details and Easter eggs, Spiral is a film that designed to be enjoyed even if you only have a basic familiarity of the series.
The film follows Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks (Chris Rock), a cop who is not on good terms with many parts of his life. He doesn’t spend a lot of time with his father, the former Captain of Zeke’s precinct, Marcus Banks (Samuel L. Jackson), he’s in the middle of a divorce, and a majority of the force are not on his side because he ratted out a dirty cop many years ago. One night, a cop finds himself stuck in an elaborate trap that kills him, and soon, other cops meet similar fates. Captain Angie Garza puts Zeke as the lead on the case along with his new rookie partner, William Schenk (Max Minghella).
Like I said, I’m not super well versed in the mythos of Saw, but I was still somewhat excited for this because it’s not often you see a comedian revive a horror franchise, especially one like Chris Rock. We just had to know what his take was, what was he so passionate about that it seemed like this film just had to be made. Unfortunately, I can’t say I entirely see what was so special about this that Chris Rock needed to this get made. It doesn’t stray too far from what you think of as a Saw film, aside from the Se7en-esque procedural approach.
That said, as a gnarly cop thriller, this is pretty engaging. It’s got a slick look to it, it builds momentum well, it does a good job at keeping you guessing, and as you would want from any movie affiliated with this franchise, the traps are inventive and the gore effects are stellar. However, one aspect that doesn’t quite work are the attempts at topicality. Corrupt policing is a major thread, but it’s that Hollywood version of it where it doesn’t really touch on what particular communities are most effected by violent police forces, which is especially odd given the film has a Black lead, and puts Marcus in a position where he actively upheld the power of the police when he was Captain, even so much as hitting a journalist who tries to question him. It’s just really odd framing considering how relevant the theme is.
Chris Rock is adequate enough as the lead, he is a fun watch, but there are moments where you can see the effort he’s putting into being the cynical, no-nonsense cop. His charms as a performer are able to keep you invested. Samuel L. Jackson is always great to see, but I did come out wishing he had more involvement in the plot, especially through the dynamic he has with Rock, which I felt was underutilized. I’m not going to give away the big twist, but when it does get around to revealing who is behind the killings, I found the actor to be underwhelming. When they get around to doing the classic monologue where everything is explained, the actor takes an approach that is far too understated for a film like this, and it sucks all the energy out of the moment.
As you can tell, I do have a number of gripes with Spiral, but I don’t know if I’d go as far as calling it a bad picture. As I was watching it, I was entertained, and I was invested from moment to moment. Chris Rock is an engaging lead, and while he leans more on his dramatic muscles than his comedic sensibilities, he still manages to throw in a few amusing wise cracks. Most of the problems with Spiral are mostly rooted in the fact that it doesn’t go as far into its ideas as it could, it seems to lack confidence in the audience to follow them into the kind of fresh territory where it clearly wants to go. It’s frustrating, but it’s not necessarily a dealbreaker. Of course, I can’t speak to folks who are already fans of the franchise, I can only say that it’s fine for what it is, but I think there is potential for something more interesting for this story and set of characters in the future.
Spiral will open in theaters on May 14th.