Spiral: From the Book of Saw

Spiral: From the Book of Saw Photos

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Cast & Crew

Chris Rock

Detective Zeke Banks

Max Minghella

Detective William Schenk

Samuel L. Jackson

Marcus Banks

Marisol Nichols

Captain Angie Garza

Dan Petronijevic

Detective Marv "Boz" Boswick

Richard Zeppieri

Detective Fitch

Ali Johnson

Officer Jeannie Lewis

Zoie Palmer

Kara Boswick

K.C. Collins

Detective Drury

Edie Inksetter

Detective Kraus

Nazneen Contractor

Coroner Chada

Thomas Mitchell

Detective O'Brien

Carvin Winans

Officer Paul

Leila Leigh

Officer Mark

Chad Camilleri

Benny

Jerry Getty

Conductor

Darren Bousman

Director

Josh Stolberg

Screenwriter

Pete Goldfinger

Screenwriter

Oren Koules

Producer

Mark Burg

Producer

Daniel Jason Heffner

Executive Producer

Chris Rock

Executive Producer

James Wan

Executive Producer

Leigh Whannell

Executive Producer

Stacey Testro

Executive Producer

Jason Constantine

Executive Producer

Gregg Hoffman

Executive Producer

Kevin Greutert

Executive Producer

Jordan Oram

Cinematographer

Dev Singh

Film Editing

Charlie Clouser

Original Music

Anthony Cowley

Production Design

Greg Chown

Art Director

Terri Drennan

Set Decoration

Laura Montgomery

Costume Design

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Critic Reviews for Spiral: From the Book of Saw

Audience Reviews for Spiral: From the Book of Saw

• Jun 10, 2021

  I'd be lying if I didn't at least call myself a minor fan of the Saw franchise. I love the first film for what it is and I always find myself hoping that this series will churn out something fresh and original when a new sequel is announced. When I heard Chris Rock had an idea and would also be starring in it, I was intrigued to see what he would do outside of his comfort zone. With that said, although he himself is devoted to this role and the filmmakers are clearly trying to put a new spin on the series, it just felt like more of the same, with the added layer of the detective storyline. Here's why, unless you're a massive Saw fan, you can skip Spiral. It has been many years since the last installment has taken place in this world. The Jigsaw killer is officially dead, but a new killer (who is copying Jigsaw's old style) is now on the loose. Picking off dirty police officers who have caused people harm in ways they never realized, this killer has a very specific motive. I never once cared about who lived and who died in these traps though, because they always seemed over-the-top in terms of how ridiculous and elaborate they were. On top of that, they all play out in weird ways.  In particular, there is a trap that occurs, but you are shown the aftermath first. When the film flashes back to show whether or not the person makes it out alive or not, you're already aware so the tension was non-existent. This happened a couple of times throughout the film, so really this film is about the detective storyline with the added addition of traps to keep Saw fans amused. I never found myself getting attached to any of the characters either, which is a shame because they're clearly all trying here. It's the fact that nearly every scene is an argument or a conflict between two or more characters and it became a bit of a headache honestly.  I will always appreciate when a series tries new things in order to keep it going, especially when they're only making the films for profit. Sadly, not much worked here. What I will shine a light on though is the fact that cinematographer Jordan Oram really stepped up to the plate here. I thought every one of his compositions were fantastic and stood out as easily the best element of the movie. The look and feel of this film were absolutely one of the more impressive entries in the franchise, which is frustrating too because they deserved to be part of a better screenplay.   Overall, Spiral just didn't quite do it for me when looking back on it. Saw fans will get a kick out of the traps as I said, but the movie isn't about them at all and most of them feel like they're only there for the shock value. Chris Rock Max Minghella and Marisol Nichols all stood out to me, giving solid performances, but the problem is that most of the dialogue is conflicts and arguments, which just wore off very fast. It kept the tension high, but when it can't get any higher, your film deflates itself which is what happened here. Spiral is nothing special, even for being a Saw movie, but I appreciated the effort to try something a little different.
  

  KJ P Super Reviewer
• Jun 03, 2021

  Chris Rock seems like an odd choice to spearhead a revival of the dormant Saw franchise, but the actor was a rabid fan of the grisly horror series and came to producers with an idea for a new Saw movie, and the results are Spiral: From the Book of Saw, like it's a Biblical chapter. A Jigsaw copycat killer is targeting corrupt police officers and those who protected them, and Rock plays a detective who dared to turn in his partner after he murdered a crime scene witness. Rock's character is seen as a traitor by his fellow brethren in blue, and as the Jigsaw copycat continues his or her bloody rampage, the history of police abuse and cover-ups comes to light. The problem with Spiral is that it feels like an entirely different independent script that somebody attached gory Saw set pieces and said, "Reboot." The Saw set pieces get increasingly ludicrous and gross and the drama in between, where Rock tracks clues and barks at his peers, feels like boring connective tissue the movie can't even bother to pretend is worth the effort. Both parts feel rote, the police conspiracy thriller and the gory death traps. The movie is also entirely predictable by the nature of the economy of characters. Within 15 minutes, I was able to predict the identity of the copycat killer as well as their connection and motive. This movie desperately needed more time with Rock and Samuel L. Jackson together. Another issue is that the movie ends abruptly and with a needed extra turn missing, perhaps where Rock agrees to work with the killer and justifies the executions as righteous reform. I wanted this new Saw to be more in keeping with Saw 6, the best sequel and most topical of the franchise where health care employees were put to fiendish ironic tests to punish them for denying medical coverage. It feels like targeting bad cops would produce more social commentary, but I guess that would get in the way of watching people try and sever their own spine on a single nail. Spiral doesn't feel any more promising than the other attempted Jigsaw reboot in 2017 even with its topical elements. It might be cheap enough to earn a sequel, but it feels like a franchise eternally going in circles. Nate's Grade: C
  

  Super Reviewer