Although Spiral: From the Book of Saw relies on old horror movie clichés and can have some awkward dialogue, it does not try to be something that is not, and that is a “classic” approach to the Saw franchise that is entertaining, bloody as it can be, simple and easy to follow and it has a new twist: Social commentary on police brutality.
Spiral is fast-paced, gory and, at times, cringy, but it compensates for many negative points with some comedic relief and a simple but effective plot. The story is quintessential SAW: a Jigsaw copycat begins a vendetta, but this time the target is corrupt cops. In the lead role, we have Chris Rock which was an unexpected choice for me, however, Rock does not try to step away from his previous comedic roles. Instead, he mixes up the dramatic acting with his classic comedy schtick, which ended up being a good tension reliever.
The most exciting point Spiral has to offer, is social commentary. In Spiral, Jigsaw is not targeting day-to-day citizens. This time it is targeting dirty cops. Police brutality has been highly debated worldwide in the past years, primarily because of the Black Lives Matter movement and Spiral doesn’t shy away from the conversation. Spiral throws at your face explicit commentary on the police’s systematic violence and the willingness of policemen to go to any extent to ‘get results’.
Since the movie started, I knew what I would get, but I was not disappointed. I was entertained through and through because what Spiral offers is a modern twist. Yes, it still has the jumpscares; yes, it uses many cop movie tropes, and yes, it’s viciously gory; but the formula works, and it’s a considerable improvement in the franchise. Overall, this new addition to the SAW franchise will keep horror and gore fans entertained, disgusted, and will make them reflect on our times’ political and social environment.
Spiral, 93 minutes, Rated R
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