Spiral: From The Book of Saw - Film Review

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For aficionados of the horror genre and fans of the iconic Book of Saw franchise, the new film Spiral will not disappoint.



Fast-paced, plenty of action, a puzzling storyline and compelling characters help to assuage the effects of the brutal gore - or enhance it if that is what inspires you. Esteemed veteran police officer, Marcus Banks is played by Samuel L. Jackson. His son, Zeke Banks (Chris Rock), teams up with rookie partner William Schenk, played by Max Minghella. Marisol Nichols plays the head of the squad, Captain Angie Garza, interestingly in the role originally written for a male.



Written by Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger, this new chapter in the Saw franchise traces the gruesome and murderous game concocted by an ingenious psychopath. Initially, this seems to be motivated, ironically, not by evil but by an unrelenting sense of justice and therefore promises to be a detour from previous offerings of Saw. However, any deep social commentary on the pursuit of failures of the police department and the courts is rather swamped by a barbaric lust for simple revenge.



If you are brave enough to keep your eyes open during at least some of the film, you will see some sharp acting and lots of blood. It is not just torture and evil though. The storyline is clever and there is enough humanity in the film to remind us why we go along to the genre - as well maybe as our penchant for nightmarish recall or paranoid daydreams.

Friendship and loyalty play out against the backdrop of almost medieval and heinously constructed torture methods. There are lots of effects to add to the horror; dead rats in traps, maniacal clowns, pigs' heads and sharp things like saws.

Right from the outset the lights, the noise and the larger than life surreal effects set the tone and even if you close your eyes during the film to find temporary relief from the visuals, the sound effects, claxons, warning bells and grim music is reminiscent of the horror of the ghost train of our childhood.



There are the usual memorable sayings throughout the film, succinct and witty yet often spawned with a measure of violence, misogyny or racism.

If you enjoy the Saw film series and like a good horror film, you will appreciate this new offering, Spiral, the 9th instalment.



Rating is R18 for High Impact Violence Blood and Gore.
Length: 93 minutes.
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman.
Produced by Oren Koules and Mark Burg.
Distributed by Studiocanal Aust.

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