Spiral: From the Book of Saw (Jigsaw Spinoff) Review
2021's Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) is a Darren Lynn Bousman horror film written by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger. It's Saw's eighth film. Chris Rock, Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols, and Samuel L. Jackson feature in the thriller about a Jigsaw copycat murderer. The series' creators, James Wan and Leigh Whannell, and series veteran Kevin Greutert are executive producers.After Jigsaw's 2017 release, Chris Rock wanted to make another Saw film. The Spierig Brothers wanted to direct another film but decided against it. The film was announced in May 2019, with Rock polishing a storyline by Stolberg and Goldfinger. The remainder of the group joined in July and August for shooting in Toronto.
Lionsgate pushed the cinema release of Spiral: From the Book of Saw back to May 14, 2021 in the United States because to the COVID-19 pandemic, even though the film had been slated to be released in May 2020. Critics were split on whether or not the film was successful in reimagining the series entirely; although they complimented the franchise's new direction, they were divided on whether or not the film was successful in reimagining the franchise.
In Spiral (2021), what happens?
Detective Marv Bozwick, who is not on duty, chases a thief down a sewer drainage pipe during a Fourth of July parade. Bozwick is attacked from behind by a person wearing a pig mask. When he wakes up, he is hanging by his tongue in an active subway tunnel. A recorded message tells him he has two options: cut out his tongue and live, or stay until the next train comes and kills him. Bozwick is killed by the train because he couldn't get out of the trap in time. The next day, Captain Angie Garza of the police department gives Detective Zeke Banks a new partner: William Schenk, a young officer with a lot of good ideas. Banks and Schenk look into how Bozwick died, and Banks realizes that this is similar to how the now-dead Jigsaw Killer did things.In the meantime, a homicide detective by the name of Fitch is kidnapped and put in a trap where he must rip his fingers off to avoid electrocution in a filling water basin; he also fails to escape and dies. Several years earlier, Fitch had ignored a backup call from Banks, which resulted in him nearly getting killed, and Banks had nearly killed him. Because of his past with Fitch, several cops start to get the impression that Banks could be the one responsible for this. The station is then sent a package that contains a pig puppet in addition to a bit of Schenk's skin that has been tattooed on it. The police were directed to a butcher shop by a little vial that was located within the box. Prior to its use as a butcher shop, the establishment was a hobby business that Banks and his father, former chief Marcus Banks, frequented. The group finds a tape recorder and a skinned body, which they determine to be that of Schenk shortly after arriving. Marcus, having made the decision to investigate the murder himself, heads to a warehouse, where he is promptly kidnapped. Soon after that, Garza is abducted and held in a trap in the cold storage area of the precinct. There, she is forced to cut her spinal chord with a blade in order to stop hot wax from running from a pipe over her face. She is unable to do so, and while Banks is discovering her body, she passes away from her injuries brought on by the scorching hot wax.
Banks is kidnapped while pursuing a lead and wakes up in a warehouse chained to a pipe with a hacksaw nearby. An untightened bobby pin saved his arm from being sawed off. Peter Dunleavy, his ex-partner who was sacked and imprisoned after Banks disclosed a murder he committed, is shackled in place. Shrapnel is hurled at him from a massive glass-crushing machine that has been modified. Banks has the option of either releasing the prisoner or letting him die, as relayed via a tape recorder. Despite Banks' best efforts, he is unable to get the key in time to rescue Dunleavy. He then discovers Schenk in a different chamber, who reveals that he faked his own death by using the skeleton of the robber who had enticed Bozwick into the tunnels. It was Charlie Emmerson, who was shot and murdered by Dunleavy because he had promised to testify against a crooked officer, that his son's last name is Emmerson. He also admits that Marcus sheltered corrupt officers while serving as chief in order to better enforce Article 8's mandate to clear up the streets of criminality.
Emmerson gives Banks a last test, showing him Marcus suspended in the air and steadily losing blood. Emmerson phones 9-1-1 and says he's being chased by a gunman, so a SWAT squad is sent to his area. He gives Banks a handgun with one cartridge and gives him the option to rescue Marcus but let Emmerson escape or murder Emmerson and let Marcus bleed to death. Banks shoots the target to free his father, then fights Emmerson. The SWAT squad enters and accidentally trips a tripwire, yanking Marcus' shackles again. Marcus' arm moves, revealing a gun, so SWAT kills him thinking he's the shooter. Emmerson flees as Banks cries.
Who was in the movie Spiral?
Detective Zeke Banks was played by Chris Rock. Detective William Schenk/Emerson was played by Max Minghella. Castrounis played Young William. Marcus Banks was played by Samuel L. Jackson.Captain Angie Garza was played by Marisol Nichols. Daniel Petronijevic played Marv Bozwick. Richard Zeppieri was Fitch.
Peter Dunleavy was played by Patrick McManus. As Officer Jeannie Lewis, Ali Johnson was played by Ali Johnson. Kara Bozwick is played by Zoie Palmer.
Sergeant Morgey Silva was played by Dylan Roberts.
K. C. Collins gave the performance of Detective Drury. Edie Inksetter was the actress that played the role of Detective Deborah Kraus. Nazneen Contractor played Chada. Detective Tim O'Brien was played by Thomas Mitchell. Camilleri played Benny Wrights. Christopher Ramsay was the actor who played Speez. Charlie Emmerson was played by Frank Licari.
Genelle Williams is Lisa Banks. Officer Pat Jones was played by Trevor Gretzky.
This is the only Saw film in which the character of John Kramer / Jigsaw isn't seen onscreen in any way other than through images, since Tobin Bell, who portrayed the role in the previous films, did not return. As Bousman noted, the film's murderer is a Jigsaw copycat, not the real Jigsaw, he stated his decision to not replace Bell in the famous role. When Billy the Puppet's origins were discussed, Bell indicated an interest in returning as Jigsaw.
Chris Rock's participation in Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
Chris Rock proposed an idea to Lionsgate called Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021), with the intention of revitalizing both the Saw series and his own career in the process.According to Chris Rock, the idea for the film Spiral: From the Book of Saw came about after he had a chance encounter with the vice chairman of Lionsgate, Michael Burns, at the wedding of a friend in Brazil. Rock felt that doing something in the horror genre would be a new direction for him to take in his career, even though he planned to include some comedic elements in the film. Rock went to Lionsgate with his suggestions for expanding the series, and the company showed a lot of interest in the notion. Rock's approach, according to Joe Drake, CEO of Lionsgate, was fully respectful to the tradition of the material while also reinvigorating the brand with his humor, artistic vision, and enthusiasm for this great horror property. Joe Drake made this statement. By January 2018, industry reports suggested that Lionsgate had began conversations of a ninth Saw film, for which the Spierig Brothers would not be returning. Screen Rant had an interview with the film's makers, and they affirmed that their movie paved the way for future sequels. As of April 2018, Twisted Pictures and the creators of Jigsaw, Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger, were working on the script for a sequel.
Following the release of Jigsaw, Stolberg and Goldfinger were pitching a new Saw film to series veterans Mark Burg and Oren Koules, focusing solely on John Kramer / Jigsaw rather than any of his established apprentices, but Burg and Koules called the duo to inform them about Rock's ideas for a new film, with Rock contacting them shortly after to discuss his concept. Other writers had submitted their concepts for the upcoming Saw picture to Lionsgate before Rock came and integrated his with Stolberg and Goldfinger's. Burg and Koules gave the pair the task of creating a pitch for Rock. Stolberg and Goldfinger did just that, and their proposal was accepted by both Lionsgate and Rock, allowing them to compose their first draft, which was greenlit only a week after it was submitted. During the writing process, Rock assisted Stolberg and Goldfinger by reworking the tale as needed.
Rock's character was formerly connected to Danny Glover's David Tapp from the previous film. Stolberg and Goldfinger decided against it since it didn't smell right. In May 2021, Bousman said he's discussed bringing Costas Mandylor back as Mark Hoffman in a future film. Bousman and the crew debated casting Tobin Bell as Jigsaw until the final day of production, but they thought that doing so would make the film seem like the ninth edition of the Saw series rather than a standalone picture. As Jigsaw was killed off in the third picture, Bousman believed that earlier films did a disservice by utilizing flashbacks to bring him into the tale. He didn't want to make that error in Spiral: From the Book of Saw or disrespect Bell's legendary portrayal. Bousman contemplated having Bell perform a Johnny Cash cover during the concluding scene, but decided it was too gimmicky.
Why didn't Tobin Bell appear in Spiral?
Tobin Bell did not reprise his normal role as Jigsaw in Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021), making it the first Saw film in which Bell did not appear.In an interview with Bloody Disgusting, Stolberg stated that Jigsaw was never included in any draft of the screenplay for Spiral, as the inclusion of Jigsaw would have altered the story's foundation; they did not intend to diminish the character, but rather wanted to move the franchise in a different direction. Stolberg also felt that due to the franchise's timeline, any possible connection between John Kramer and William Schenk / The Spiral Killer should have occurred when the latter was still a child, taking into account his portrayer's age; Stolberg and Goldfinger proposed at one point to have an after-credits sequence in which Kramer met a young Schenk after the murder of the latter's father and befriended him, possibly giving him the puppet he later uses as the
Because the film's killer is a Jigsaw knockoff who differs from the original, it was decided to replace Billy the Puppet with a new puppet in the form of Mr. Snuggles, as Bousman believed that if the original Jigsaw was replaced, the original puppet should be replaced as well, so the new killer could not be compared. Because the production feared that using Bell's voice for Mr. Snuggles would raise questions about the killers' relationship, an early draft featured Jigsaw's voice only to be revealed as a digitally altered version of his voice, and the story originally had all the speeches as past recordings of Jigsaw's voice using words in a different order to show that the Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) Killer had digitally rearranged the words. The producers tried to substitute Bell's voice with a new one for the murderer. Bousman tried out a variety of female, kid, and male sounds before deciding on the computer produced voice. Only two days before the sound mix was finished, the final voice for the picture was chosen.
Take a look behind the scenes of Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021).
On May 16, 2019, the film's pre-production began. Former series director Darren Lynn Bousman is back to direct the movie, and Burg and Koules are back as producers. In addition to writing the story treatment, Rock was the show's executive producer.James Wan and Leigh Whannell, the original Saw creators, have joined Rock as executive producers, along with Daniel Heffner. The scriptwriters have been identified as Stolberg and Goldfinger.
Rock said that he has liked the Saw movies since the first one came out in 2004. He was excited about the chance to take this to a new, very dark, and strange place.
Rock suggested Bousman direct a Broadway production when he declined to direct Saw IV.
Burg and Koules stated Rock's Saw treatment was like Eddie Murphy's in 48 Hrs., giving the series a new viewpoint. Bousman said that compared to previous entries, Spiral had less violence and gore. He said that gore and violence were his gimmick when he began working on the Saw films, but that these components now serve the plot, which focuses on character, suspense, and terror.
Stolberg also said that the ninth movie would be part of the same storyline as the first eight, and that it would not be a reboot or a direct sequel to Jigsaw.Options for roles in the Spiral: From the Book of Saw production
Detective Zeke Banks was played by Rock. They came up with the role during their pre-screenplay discussions, with Rock wondering what he would do if he were Dr. Lawrence Gordon and had to chop off his own foot, until they realized that it would be fun to play an exiled officer who was outcast by his peers.Samuel L. Jackson decided to portray Chief Marcus Banks because he wanted to execute a new sequence, as when his character is hung up like a marionette. Marisol Nichols was hired as Captain Angie Garza. The character was initially intended for a male actress, but the producers handed it to Nichols, who, despite being a Saw fan, saw David Fincher's Seven to prepare. Patrick McManus initially auditioned for Detective Marv Bozwick but was cast as Peter Dunleavy. Dan Petronijevic was selected as Bozwick.
Max Minghella, a devotee of horror and buddy-cop films, took on the role of William Schenk / The Spiral (2021) Killer because he wanted to act in a movie with straightforward story-telling like the buddy police of his childhood like 48 Hrs.
How was it working on the set of Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)?
Jordan Oram started filming The Organ Donor on July 8, 2019, in Toronto, Ontario. The cast includes Rock, Jackson, Minghella, and Nichols. Lionsgate CEO Joe Drake said Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Rock, Max Minghella, and Marisol Nichols will make this picture distinctive in the Saw canon, and they can't wait to show fans this surprising and scary new plot. Saw on full blast. Rock rewrote his character's introduction on set. Bousman said a trap scenario was too gruesome for the film.On August 28, 2019, the last scene was shot. During post-production, Dev Singh did the editing.
What was the marketing strategy for Spiral (2021)?
The working title for the film was The Organ Donor until the name Spiral: From the Book of Saw and the Canadian distributor, Mongrel Media, were leaked to the press on January 22, 2020. On February 5, 2020, the first teaser poster and trailer revealed Spiral as the film's title.The debut of Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) in movie theaters and on streaming services
In the United States, Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) was going to be released on October 23, 2020 according to the film's initial release date plan, which was handled by Lionsgate Films. The original date of July 15, 2020 was pushed ahead to May 15, 2020 in July 2019. The release of the movie was pushed back to May 21, 2021, as a direct consequence of the COVID-19 epidemic. This date will now take the place that John Wick: Chapter 4 was supposed to occupy. Later on, the release date was moved up to May 14, 2021, one week earlier than originally planned, just as movie theaters were starting to reopen.Lionsgate announced on May 25, 2021 that Spiral would stream on Starz beginning October 8, 2021. Canada launched Spiral on PVOD 1 June 2021.
How would you rate Spiral: From the Book of Saw, if you could?
According to Darren Lynn Bousman, the movie was rated NC-17 11 times before getting an R.How much did Spiral: From the Book of Saw make at the movie theaters?
Spiral: From the Book of Saw has earned $40.6 million worldwide as of March 3, 2022, including $23.2 million in the US and Canada and $17.3 million elsewhere.In the US and Canada, Spiral came out at the same time as Those Who Wish Me Dead, Profile, and Finding You. It was expected to make between $10 million and $15 million in its first weekend from 2,811 theaters. The movie made $3.7 million on its first day, which included $750,000 from previews on Thursday night. This was less than what was expected, which was $9 million. It went on to make $8.8 million in its first weekend, which was more than any other movie in the series, but it was the lowest opening weekend for the series as a whole. The audiences that were reported on were 56% men and 75% under the age of 35. Positive responses were more common on the East Coast of the US. It stayed in first place the next weekend, even though its sales dropped by 48% to $4.6 million.
Spiral (2021)'s critics:
Film reviewers commended Spiral: From the Book of Saw's efforts at shaking up the series formula but noted it ultimately falls short of giving Saw the huge lift it needs to restore relevancy.On the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, 37 percent of 221 reviewers gave the film a good review, with a 5.1/10 average rating. Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) proposes a fascinating new approach for the Saw series, even if the gruesome whole is less than its pieces, according to the site's critical consensus.
Based on 33 reviewers, Metacritic gave the film a score of 40 out of 100, indicating mixed or mediocre reviews.
Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore awarded the picture a B- on a scale of A+ to F, while PostTrak reported that 63 percent of audience members gave it a good rating, with 43 percent indicating they would certainly recommend it.
A film reviewer said that the picture takes an unexpected twist or two but given that it's a thriller connected to the problem of police immorality, the film handles that theme in a bizarrely offtopic, almost garishly generic fashion.A different film critic thought the script captured the grizzled cop movie tone and drew some memorable characters, but the storyline was rote, the mystery was frustratingly predictable, and the imaginative deaths were less imaginative than ever. For the sake of respectability, Spiral (2021) made a trade-off in entertainment value, but it didn't quite succeed.
A number of film critics found Spiral to be a legitimately frightening detective thriller despite its uneven pacing, but they also faulted the screenplay for failing to convey the potential tensions between the father-son relationship of the film's central characters.
Others praised the performance and Spiral: From the Book of Saw's simple yet captivating idea, although some made criticisms of the voice actor's impression of Kermit the Frog in the role of the unknown assassin. They also noted how gruesome the gore and screaming scenes are for a real audience. They are, in fact, posted here the enticement.
A film reviewer awarded the film one star out of five and attacked its finale, noting that it was hurried, half-assed, clumsily written, and, worst of all, becoming progressively uninteresting. He concluded his evaluation with the phrase "game over."
Another film critic awarded the movie one and a half stars and made negative comments about the film's tone and the direction that it was given by Darren Lynn Bousman. He said that he was disappointed by the direction because he had praised the cast, and he described the movie as being "downright illegible" due to its lack of tension, story, and progression in the plot.
A separate film reviewer complimented the opening sequence but deemed it to be the film's sole redeeming feature, stating that the idea is "dishonest at best and fearmongering at worst." This film, like one of Jigsaw's easy riddles, is not as clever as it thinks it is.
According to one film reviewer, Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021): From the Book of Saw is a sequel that tries to woo Saw enthusiasts and mainstream viewers both, but it is likely to offend both. It's a false replica of the series, failing to match even the most fundamental aesthetic and narrative expectations. It's also a terrible film in general, attempting to portray a socially important subject but failing miserably. He also chastised the picture for its lack of ties to the Saw franchise, claiming that Spiral: From the Book of Saw is barely a Saw film, delivering only momentarily on the visceral pleasure of mutilation and none of the series' other premises. It's also the most artless, tactless form of what it really plays like: a discarded pilot episode for a monotonous police procedural.
Reviewer In the words of Decker Shado on Spiral. Spiral (2021), the newest installment in the Saw series, was released before the end of 2021 and was inspired by both the Book of Saw and the mind of Chris Rock. After getting a full SUMMER'S WORTH OF SAW, you should definitely be familiar with the story's premise by this point: a serial murderer is on the run who does not directly kill his target but rather tests them with innovative and unsettling mechanical devices. At the very least, it is the general idea. The most of these catches leave quite a deal to be desired... not only that, but the approach used is rather flawed, and the end aim is not really clear. The explanation provided in his review is considerably clearer.
Another film reviewer said that it is not precisely a waste of a premise. The franchise, however, does not require reinvention. Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) gets some new blood thanks to Rock's involvement, but after a promising start, it just becomes a pretty good Saw movie with some bigger names than usual—one whose jaundiced lighting and procedural storytelling more closely resemble David Fincher's Se7en than anything else. Consider the game a loss if the goal was to see if a fresh take on a long-running franchise could survive being sliced and diced by the sequel machine.
A reviewer said Spiral stumbles through its fundamental riddle without elegance, style, or philosophy. Even deathtraps are boring. He recognized the film's promise, suggesting that a better, wiser movie is hiding behind all the foolishness. Too many cuts and speed-ups. Loud, bad conversation is irritating. Spiral (2021) is about corrupt and violent police having a reckoning, which might be edgy and topical for a Hollywood picture. However, the film appears to care nothing about any of this. It seeks and sheds much blood.