“Saw III” used a similar narrative schema, and the method deflated the ratcheting horror in that film too. Bousman and editor Dev Singh’s use of flashbacks to recount the deadly games undercut the impact of the precisely formulated kills staged in mucky abandoned factories and stark disused lofts. Oh, and did I mention that Marcus Banks goes missing too? The film spins so many plates that Bousman barely notices when one crashes to the ground.Īs more and more cops wind up MIA, the reinvented “Saw” entry stumbles into a ho-hum freakout. Video files of a Jigsaw copycat reveal a plan to kidnap and kill the dirty cops on the force, beginning with the victim in the opening sequence, one of Zeke’s only friends. Lemon-lime boxes tied with yarn, containing USBs addressed to Zeke, arrive at the MPD precinct. William Schenk (Max Minghella) - by his captain, Angie Garza (Marisol Nichols). Zeke is assigned a partner - the eager Det. Soon after its encouraging opening, “Spiral” clumsily uncoils. But with their screen time inexplicably limited, director Darren Lynn Bousman tries to make up the difference by planting a few “Pulp Fiction” references in several frames.
With the elder actor’s poetic ear for a lyrically placed expletive and the younger’s equally hardy talents for blue humor, their pairing should carry the day. And he’s especially comfortable sharing scenes with Jackson.
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The setup is so delectable it makes the film’s crash and burn all the more disappointing.Īt least Rock’s ability to deliver sharp comedy is on full display: He registers big laughs on topics ranging from Forrest Gump to cheating spouses. Jackson), who just so happens to be his landlord too. Least of all his father, the now-retired police Chief Marcus Banks (Samuel L. Years earlier, Banks turned in his partner after the crooked cop murdered an unarmed witness.
His interoffice relationships might best be described as icy. Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks (Rock) as your typical shoot from the hip lone wolf investigator. The explicit, grisly script co-written by “Jigsaw” duo Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger opens on firm, well-meaning ground, introducing Det. Almost every minute that follows explains what doesn’t. That sequence represents what works best in the “Saw” franchise: the ingenious unwinnable scenarios constructed for peak gore, copious blood and quacking panic.
He dangles gingerly on a tiny wooden step stool as a train barrels toward him. He awakens chained to the tunnel’s ceiling, his tongue bolted in a metal vice grip, barbed wire tightened around his wrists. He’s quickly subdued by a hooded figure wearing a pig’s head. In case you haven’t seen the film’s opening scene, recently released online by Lionsgate, some light spoilers ahead: A detective (Dan Petronijevic) in pursuit of a suspect jumps into a sewer.
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If only this ninth installment in the “Saw” series carried more weight than Monopoly money, its 93-minute runtime wouldn’t feel like we hit a “Go to Jail” space. An attempt to revive the graphic thrills of the moribund franchise that gave horrific meaning to the phrase “Do you wanna play a game?” by delivering a socially conscious narrative, “Spiral” offers the comedian another dramatic change of pace after his star turn in “Fargo” Season 4. If you listen closely, above the blood-curdling screams resounding off concrete torture rooms in “Spiral: From the Book of Saw,” one can imagine the truths behind Rock’s well-aimed punchlines hanging like an orchard above the gruesome cacophony. “Bad apple? That’s a lovely name for ‘murderer,’” he quips about deadly cops. Because moviegoing carries risks during this time, we remind readers to follow health and safety guidelines as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials.įollowing the Black Lives Matter protests of summer 2020, Chris Rock’s frank 2018 riff “A Few Bad Apples” provided a measure of viral catharsis. The Times is committed to reviewing theatrical film releases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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