When the trailer for Spiral: From The Book Of Saw, the ninth instalment in the Saw franchise, dropped, fans and critics alike were surprised by how much potential it demonstrated.
The Saw movie franchise is somewhat intricate. Kicked off in 2004 when director James Wan adapted a short into a feature-length movie, Saw became a cornerstone for the 2000s horror movie connoisseur. Following the elaborate torture traps of John Kramer, alias Jigsaw, and his loyal cohorts, the Saw movies tap into a raw survivalist instinct, doling out blood and gore in the process. After the success of its first installment, the series went on to release a movie a year until 2010, when it took a seven-year break before releasing Jigsaw in 2017.
Although rarely achieving critical success, the Saw movies have almost always been major box office hits. Save the dragging slog that was Saw VI, every installment of the Saw franchise earned well over USD$100 million. Saw provided a rite of passage for many fans’ first foray into horror. Sleepover classics, they never flinched away from gratuitous gore and hyperviolence, combining the visceral quality of slasher flicks with the tension of thrillers. As the series progressed, however, its storylines and characters went stale, somehow both formulaic and increasingly convoluted.
Saw 9 Provides A Fresh Take On A Stale Franchise
By the time Spiral: From The Book Of Saw was announced, many were already disillusioned with the Saw franchise. It had become convoluted and disjointed, from perplexing character relationships to an unwillingness to evolve.
Screenplay writer Chris Rock provides a unique opportunity for the franchise that could instill it with a new life, bringing a unique perspective to the mix. The comedian has confirmed he will be including elements of comedy into the movie. It is an unexpected addition and, though fans might be skeptical of its success, it is this unexpectedness that was much needed to reinvigorate the franchise. After all, Rock wouldn’t be the first person to take the step from comedy into horror and Jordan Peele’s horror debut, Get Out, garnered him an Oscar. An understanding of pacing, timing, and audience emotion is clearly a skill transferrable between the two genres.
From the trailer alone, it is clear Spiral will be somewhat of a departure from the established atmosphere of its eight predecessors. Its aesthetic is entirely different, leaning more into a glossy cinematic vibe than the grungy, shabby-chic look of its 2000s iterations. Many fans have been quick to connect its look and feel to Se7en, a relevant comparison considering the serial murder mystery also served as inspiration for the original short film. It is a modern take that establishes its own look. Its willingness to make changes to the tried-and-tested formula has fans buzzing.
Saw 9 Looks Like It Will Go Back To The Basics
Spiral won’t completely erase the legacy of Saw, instead building on it. The trailer shows several Easter eggs for fans of the franchise, from the Billy’s cheek spiral to an unnerving callback to the original Saw. Spiral seems to have perfectly grasped the appeal of the first, and by far best rated, movie: graphic horror mixed with social commentary. Starring two black police officers, Spiral has plentiful opportunity to add new levels to the original’s commentary considering the current American climate. Similarly to 2019’s Watchmen, the franchise is taking the original beloved source material and adding new depth through the diversification of voices. Rotten Tomatoes ranks Spiral among its most anticipated movies of 2020.
Ultimately, Saw is a franchise for fans. Critics have little love for it, but box office number confirm its appeal time and time again. Rock himself is a fan. He told Deadline, “I’ve been a fan of Saw since the first film in 2004. I am excited by the opportunity to take this to a really intense and twisted new place.” In an era oversaturated by committee-led movies and cash-grab reboots, Spiral: From The Book Of Saw looks like it comes from somewhere genuine, combining the beloved old with the exciting new.