Spiral From the Book of Saw Review

Spiral: From the Book of Saw steps the game up a gear as this spin-off installment brings a breath of fresh air into the world’s most popular horror franchise. Here’s my Spiral: From the Book of Saw review.

Working in the shadow of his father, Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks and his rookie partner take charge of an investigation into grisly murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past. Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the centre of the killer’s morbid game.

After Jigsaw concluded the Saw franchise was starting to feel a little worn out.

Whilst I still enjoyed it, as I have with all of the installments that have come before it, everything just felt very contained within its format.

The traps were always inventive but in the warehouse setting, with a group of wrong-doers all huddled together trying to escape a scenario, things were just starting to drag.

Dragging has certainly been the best word to describe the franchise after John Kramer (Jigsaw) departed and instalments thereafter clung onto his namesake to resemble the incredible films of old.

Now whilst Spiral: From the Book of Saw pays homage to the originals and John Kramer, he’s never the main focus.

He merely plays a name whispered once or twice within a police investigation room and isn’t the sole pillar of strength the film relies on every 5 minutes like he was in Jigsaw for example.

This time around our story is easy to follow as a new game is afoot and a copycat Jigsaw killer is targeting police officers.

But these are police officers that have all at some point being involved in something corrupt.

Police Corruption is the main focus of the day and Zeke Banks (Chris Rock) is at the heart and centre of the game at hand.

When Zeke was a junior cop he snitched on a colleague who shot a man in cold blood.

Since that day the colleagues he works with (all equally corrupt by the way) despise him for snitching on one of their own.

The story itself was pitched by Rock and rather than our usual Saw format this feels ever so slightly out of the box.

You can see why they didn’t call this movie Saw or Jigsaw II opting to instead take a leaf out of the book of Saw.

Some critics who panned the film said it resembled the movie Se7en.

I mean if you’re going to pan a movie and then compare it to one of David Fincher’s best films then that’s all the more reason for me to ignore what most critics say.

With Zeke not knowing who to trust he is forced to partner up with rook cop William (Max Minghella) to investigate this cop-killing spree.

Taking a detour from Saw movies of old Spiral From the Book of Saw has a classic cop movie feel.

The contrast of colour tones, the backdrops that shy away from warehouses converted into death traps, and this unique buddy cop pro and rook relationship angle that drives the narrative.

A Homage To The Saw Movies Of Old

We are introduced to the story with a gruesome opening death and then before we know it we’re hit with comedy as Zeke is undercover talking to crooks about Forrest Gump.

Jumping from horror to comedy gives us a breather from witnessing a guy’s tongue being ripped clean from his mouth.

The respect for the originals is there for all to see as this balance of contrast between the sepia tones of the police force and cityscape combines with the dark grey and blue tones of anything trap or Jigsaw copycat related.

It’s a nice touch.

It has a real classic cop drama feel to it.

The traps are equally as inventive but they’re no longer the star of the show. Whilst they’re shot with the same cinematic styling as the previous movies and with just as much stomach-churning effect as traps of old the movie is more interested in fleshing out its characters.

There’s more depth on display than what we’ve seen in previous installments and whilst this new copycat will never be John Kramer it’s a Saw movie for 2021 and it stands on its own two feet and blew me back a good ten more.

We’re no longer in the shoes of potential victims looking to escape the trap laid out before them, we’re on the hunt for the killer right from the offset.

But is killer the right word?

This is a moral dilemma. The copycat killer is taking out cops, but cops we’ve now been told are crooked so once again we’re in a Saw movie where the real villains may not be the ones the cops are chasing but more the cops themselves.

It’s very much the Dexter dilemma where Dexter is a serial killer but only kills other serial killers.

Is that morally right? A twisted dark superhero ridding the world of crime?

That’s for you to decide.

After all John Kramer never technically murdered anyone, his traps were designed to be escaped from, to teach twisted, sometimes morally questionable lessons but lessons nonetheless.

Life or death was the choice and life was an option if you followed the rules.

Hoffman however built traps to kill, to seek revenge with absolutely no way of escaping. 

This copycat is going back to offering salvation in the design of the traps but all come with a hefty price to pay, in this case, the loss of limbs. A tongue here, a few fingers there.

It’s also worth noting that the victims in question are all linked to the central plot of Zeke and the reason many on the force don’t like him.

Samuel L. Jackson Is More Cameo Than Central

Samuel L. Jackson also factors in briefly as the former head and veteran of the police force.

Playing Chris Rock’s dad his scenes are short-lived between an apartment scene, a few flashbacks, and a “MotherF**ker” or two.

Not one to overstay his welcome it seems Samuel L Jackson’s parts were shot over a weekend, he’s not the focus here but does play a vital role in how the story comes full circle.

Spiral avoids the trap of feeling familiar and for large chunks of the film feels like another franchise entirely outside of the Saw universe, a tribute, a homage, but never a direct lineage.

It may follow the same format in how the games are played and how they’re executed but the focus is entirely elsewhere and with a cliffhanger ending you know there’s more to come.

Another Saw movie has already been announced but it’s not clear if it’s a follow-on from Spiral (the spin-off) or if it’ll go back to being called Saw.

Where The Movie Falls Flat

Derren Lynn Bousman has created a masterpiece here, a solid return to form and writers Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger have crafted something marvelous but there is one hiccup.

One hiccup that fans of the Saw franchise will watch, wince and pretend never happened.

During the chaos was a certain line within the movie that said “Kramer never went after cops” which if you’re a fan of the Saw movies you know that’s just not the case. Saw II proved that.

You’d think the writers would know their source material and with director Derren Lynn Bousman working on Saw II you’d naturally assume that it would have been mentioned and crossed off the script.

That was a rookie move.

The pacing is much slower than your usual Saw movie so expect slow-mo shots of Chris Rock looking like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Rather than the victims of a game being the core focus with an investigation taking place behind the scenes, we’re right in Zeke’s shoes as his colleagues are being killed around him.

Rock managers to balance his role rather well with comedy striking when needed and with his serious smoulder giving Zoolander a run for his money I’d say he did a pretty good job.

But with questionable lines and a few puzzled, Chris Rock faces only serving as mere annoyances I can’t pick too much fault with the product as a whole.

I can give this review 5-stars without hesitation but I’m not reviewing it as a Saw movie. The only reason this instalment revitalises the franchise is because it paves the way for an inevitable Saw movie. Yes, a real Saw movie that’s actually called Saw.

I rated this movie as an outsider of the franchise I know and love and it stands on its own but let’s face it, it’s not Saw and if I reviewed it as such it wouldn’t stand a chance.

Spiral: From the Book of Saw Review Overall

I hope you’ve enjoyed this Spiral: From the Book of Saw review. It’s always fun talking about a franchise I know and still love to this day.

For me, the trailer gave too much away.

We wrote a breakdown of the teaser and it showed a little bit too much for my liking.

The movie has divided many critics but those same critics who gave this a bad review also gave previous instalments a bad review, naturally, I don’t tend to listen to any of them as I’ve enjoyed every Saw movie there has ever been and this is no exception.

It’s certainly not the Saw movies of old that I know and love but it’s a bold direction and something out of the ordinary for the franchise as we know it.

To have the ninth instalment of a franchise not only pay homage to those before it but remains fresh and with enough horsepower behind it to drive a future franchise I’d say it’s a job well done.

There was a nice surprise ending thrown in there for good measure in true Saw fashion just leaving the door open for more.

So whilst Spiral From the Book of Saw takes a few pages from its predecessors it does stand up tall alone on its own shelf just waiting for more volumes to be added to the collection.

It’s gruesome, it’s engaging, it’s dark, it’s gritty, it’s a 2021 Saw movie personified and taking a much-loved franchise into bold and unchartered territory.

A franchise respected, a franchise revitalized.

You’d be crazy to compare it to the original franchise and if you’re reviewing it as such you’ve failed before you’ve even begun.

I’d be crazy to give this film fewer stars for a few smoldering looks and one line of questionable dialogue so for me, it’s a 5 all day!

Spiral: From the Book of Saw review by Sean Evans