READ THIS TO LEARN ABOUT THE FILM!
Spiral: From the Book of Saw hits theaters on May 14, 2021. Starring Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson, this film acts as the ninth film in the Saw franchise, but is also attempting to revive the franchise with a bigger budget and a star-studded cast. If you might want to see this film, check out the pages below and learn about the director, screenwriters, cast, production, and more info to decide whether or not you will watch Spiral: From the Book of Saw.
Plot / Director / Screenwriters / Producers / Cast / Production and Interview Statements / Trailers / Saw Franchise / Interviews and General Vibe of the Film
Plot
This film follows Detective Ezekiel Banks, who is trying to track down a serial killer who uses the same motif as John Kramer, aka Jigsaw. Zeke enlists the help of his father, Marcus, only to find out that he is in the center of the killer's lethal game.
Director
Spiral is directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. Bousman's filmography includes a lot of low-budget horror movies, including the second, third, and fourth Saw films. Spiral's budget doubles that of any Saw film, clocking in at 20 million U.S. dollars.
According to both Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb, Bousman's best film is Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival!, which is a fantasy horror film that acts as a sequel to The Devil's Carnival. I guarantee you guys haven't heard of any of his films. Most of them are trashy, grainy horror movies that are never talked about.
The only redeeming thing about Darren Lynn Bousman as a director is his experience with the Saw franchise. This is a very styled franchise that deals with pretty much the same story every time. I think he is a good choice to take the franchise in a new direction, but definitely not my top pick to helm this film.
Screenwriters
Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger have worked together before. As a matter of fact, they wrote the screenplay for the Jigsaw, the most recent Saw movie. They mostly work with romantic comedies and horror movies. They have written three movies together, all of which were horror movies. Likely their most popular film is Piranha 3D, a satirical horror movie that has become a recognizable B-movie.
Once again, they have worked on mostly low-budget horror and comedy movies that all have very low Rotten Tomatoes scores. I don't know most of their movies and I don't know them particularly well, so I immediately gravitate toward skepticism when I hear about this.
Maybe they'll be fine, because this is a Saw movie, but I don't like them as the pick to write this movie.
Producers
The executive producers of this film are Chris Rock, who also stars, and then James Wan and Leigh Whannell. Rock is mostly known for his comedic roles, this being his first dip into the horror genre. All of the films he's produced have been comedies. He himself is a stand-up comedian. It's a very strange choice to have him star and produce the film, but, apparently, he is very passionate about the film and has been a fan of the Saw franchise since it began in 2004.
James Wan and Leigh Whannell excite me. Usually, when their name is attached to a project, it turns out good. Wan directed the original Saw film. He is also responsible for bringing us Insidious, Dead Silence, and, most prominently, the Conjuring universe. The two films he's directed that aren't horror are Furious 7 and Aquaman. Furious 7 has been hailed as the best film in the Fast & Furious franchise, and Aquaman is my favorite film in the DCEU. He would be my pick to direct this movie, and he's not, but I like that he is producing.
Leigh Whannell is also a great name inside of horror fandom. He has worked with James Wan countless times. He wrote and starred in the first Saw film then went on to write the next two films in the franchise. He also wrote the Insidious movies, making his directorial debut with Insidious: Chapter 3. He has directed two other films: Upgrade, which I have not seen but it's supposed to be good...and The Invisible Man. On scares, The Invisible Man underwhelmed me, but the atmosphere and paranoia was the best part of the film...which was one hundred percent created by Whannell. I do wish he and Wan were directing and/or writing this film, but, like I said before, producing is something.
Cast
The film stars Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson. If I'm being honest, I've never really liked Chris Rock. I find him pretty annoying and think he fits in with Adam Sandler, David Spade, and Rob Schneider. I do not think he is fit for a serious horror movie at all. I'm undecided as to whether I like his performance in the trailer, but that is something that worries me.
But who doesn't like Samuel L. Jackson? He's the best. There's really nothing to say here. This man has starred in over 100 films. He has been in countless franchises as well as indie films. Whether it's Pulp Fiction, The Avengers, The Incredibles, Jurassic Park, Kong: Skull Island, or freakin' Snakes on a Plane, Samuel L. Jackson has always been great. I'm excited to see him in Spiral.
Production and Interview Statements
The production has been very clean from the beginning. Chris Rock approached the head of Lionsgate with an idea to extend the Saw franchise. Darren Lynn Bousman (the director) has stated that the film will be less gory and violent in comparison to the other Saw movies. The gimmick of the franchise is the shock value, but Bousman said that they are focusing more on characters, tension, and building up fear throughout the movie.
The film was originally planned to be released on October 23, 2020, but was moved up to May 15, 2020. Due to the pandemic, Lionsgate pushed it a year back to May 21, 2021. As theaters began reopening, the film slid into May 14, 2021.
Trailers
I'm just going to attach both trailers links here:
Saw Franchise
The Saw franchise currently consists of eight movies. None of them are fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, although reception to the first film has become increasingly positive over the years. It's definitely a franchise that makes movies for its fans. If you are squeamish or don't like horror movies, I'd recommend you skip out on this movie. The Saw films are known for their grisly traps and bloody deaths, so if that stuff is not your thing, do not watch this movie.