We all remember the SAW movies, whether fondly or otherwise. We thought SAW had seen its last release in 2017 with Jigsaw, but it looks like horror never really dies. The ninth installment looks to be picking up the ominous red swirl once more in a new film starring Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson called, appropriately enough, Spiral.
Here’s the official synopsis from Lionsgate:
A sadistic mastermind unleashes a twisted form of justice in SPIRAL, the terrifying new chapter from the book of SAW. Working in the shadow of an esteemed police veteran (Samuel L. Jackson), brash Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks (Chris Rock) and his rookie partner (Max Minghella) take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past. Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer’s morbid game.
The trailer doesn’t make it totally clear if this is a spinoff of Saw, or a reboot of the franchise. After all, what does “from the book of SAW” really even mean? The director, Darren Lynn Bousman, directed Saw II, III, and IV, as well as cult classic Repo! The Genetic Opera, so he’s got both a good handle on the franchise and on creating a lot of gore.
Picking Jackson for this film is a great grab, but Chris Rock is definitely a surprise. His reputation is more of a comedic talent but he has a sort fo smooth charisma in the trailer that seems to really work. Max Minghella, probably best known as Nick in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, definitely gives off “Brad Pitt in SEVEN” vibes, but we’ll see if that plot line is going to play out in the same way.
Spiral is set to premiere in theaters on May 15, 2020.
