Spiral

 

8/10

Spiral, the ninth movie in the Saw franchise and basically a second attempt to restart it after Jigsaw (the film, not the person) didn't take off. In it it, yet ANOTHER Jigsaw (the person, not the film) copycat killer (how many have there been by now?) is targeting crooked cops. 

I've never been a big Saw/torture porn fan. I've only seen parts of the first two films. However, I was curious about this. Comedian Chris Rock personally wanted to do a Saw movie, and this went more plot heavy instead of mostly following a person or persons navigating the traps. 

Rock as Detective Zeke Banks is probably my favorite part of this. He just does a good job as the jaded/partially-on-the-edge cop. Max Minghella is likable as Banks' fresh-eyed new partner William Schenk. The two actors both have great chemistry. Admittedly, they play basic cop tropes, but they were entertaining enough that I didn't care. However, there was something off about the police captain Angie Garza (Marisol Nichols). She felt like she was from an entirely different style of production, like a network television procedural.

The plot is interesting. There's a big mystery as to why these specific cops were targeted. It's not the most ambitious story, but it works. Effort is given to develop Banks' past and how it correlates to the mystery at hand. There is a surprising amount of humor in this.

On the other hand, there are some plot points that don't quite work when you think about it. A couple of characters you expect to go somewhere really don't. (In fairness, I've read that one kill got cut.) While the ending works for me, it is a bit abrupt for my taste. Though in fairness, the Saw movies aren't known for wrapping things up with "where they are now."

Some fans of the franchise may not like that the killer skews a bit from the typical Jigsaw killer formula. This one doesn't have a twisted need to make people appreciate their lives and isn't so much a sportsman. Still, I don't know if anyone really filled the shoes of the original Jigsaw, so it makes sense to have this new guy or gal have some wriggle room to forge their own identity.

This is directed by Darren Lynn Bousman who directed entries two through four, and he brings a sense of style. This takes place during a heat wave and the use of a harsh orange/yellow lighting scheme sells this.

Of course you're probably wondering about the bread and butter of the Saw franchise: the traps. I'll be honest. Not a fan. Too much for my taste. However if you're a fan of the traps and gore, this really cranks things up to 11. 

Overall, if you like the Saw movies, I recommend this. If you liked the first movie but were disappointed how the later films focused more on traps and violence than the story, then this might be a nice return to form for you. But yeah... If you don't like torture porn, you should definitely avoid. It gets nasty.