"Spiral" is the ninth entry in the seemingly endless "Saw" series and stars Chris Rock as a detective searching for a serial killer targeting cops in his precinct using the methods of the long dead Jigsaw Killer. The "Saw" series has been dormant since 2017's "Jigsaw", which was the first attempt at resurrecting the franchise and while the movie did respectable numbers, it seemed that the "Saw" movies had their day in the sun. This second reboot/sequel does a bit better than "Jigsaw" but still retains the problems of previous entries making for a flawed but overall enjoyable film if you're a fan of the series.
Chris Rock co-wrote the screenplay and as you'd imagine, there are some lighter moments not seen in previous "Saw" films. The humor may be off putting to some, but the story feels like a throwback to the buddy cop flicks of the 80's such as "48 Hrs." or "Lethal Weapon" but still retains the overall tone of a horror/thriller which makes the film feel a lot more like Fincher's "Se7en". While this comparison has been a common criticism since the 2004 original, It feels like that's a better fit for "Spiral" as it's the first in the series to not have an overarching game that seems disconnected from the main plot but rather focuses more on those who've abused their positions of power so each trap feels more personal.
The traps themselves aren't particularly great though if you're a fan. I understand that this is a back-to-basics story and they weren't going to go crazy like in "Saw 3D" but fans do expect a bit more after nine films so gorehounds will likely be disappointed here. The cast all do fine considering the movie they're in but do go over the top. The performances are very "Law & Order" with the overly dramatic yelling and dialogue that you only see in TV cop shows but Rock's contributions do help elevate it a bit.
I think that "Spiral" wasted a lot of its potential by falling back on previous entry tropes too many times. Director Darren Lynn Bousman has directed four of these "Saw" films now and he just seems to go by the books even with an elevated budget of $20 million (the highest of the series) and having Rock contributing to the screenplay, you just wish they'd gotten someone new and hungry to prove themselves behind the camera to really freshen up this franchise. Overall, it's a perfectly watchable sequel but doesn't stand out from what came before enough to elevate it. Here's hoping they go somewhere with this story as the twist ending that has become synonymous with "Saw" leaves us on a cliffhanger for "Saw 10".
C+
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