Gruesome and twisted, the film Spiral takes you into the inner sanctum of a copycat murdered who kills his prey in the same fashion as the mysterious Jigsaw. Those of you who have become ardent fans of the series Saw will get a kick out of this plot that’s much like the ‘infamous’ killer’s sick ways of committing murder. If you have grown old of the plot plan however, than it may become a little ho hum. Sprucing this one up for those who are still big followers, the special effects makeup are completely off the chain.
Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks (Chris Rock) has been working solo for some time and finds himself with a new partner recruit Detective William Schenk (Max Minghelia). Not fond of teaching anyone the ropes and as the son of retired top cop Marcus Banks (Samuel L. Jackson), he often takes a lot of heat from his fellow officers.
A call comes in about a subway accident and Zeke and Schenk take on the incident. When it’s discovered that the victim is an off duty police officer, the two detectives are put in charge of the case. In the course of their investigation, Zeke starts to realize that it may be the work of a seral killer called Jigsaw that fits the mold of one of his father’s prime unsolved cases.
Director Darren Lynn Bousman develops his characters early on and then puts them in harm’s way as they investigate the grisly crimes that start targeting other police officers. Using some very intricate special effects, the film becomes a horror show that makes many scenes very realist and ghastly. However, the downside is the predictability and some scenes are even bizarre. While most fans of the genre are up for the thrills involving the unimaginable, Spiral is not for the faint of heart.
The acting by the central cast is pretty good, considering the script’s hackneyed scenes of Saw’s most devilish tortures. Chris Rock does his best as the lead detective that chases his father’s former master criminal, but as a fan of Saw, it’s like dredging up a worn out theme. Even Max Minghelia seems to be having a hard time keeping up with Rock as his character tries to remain natural during the precinct’s defiance of the son of former Detective Banks.
Spiral earned one of the longest R ratings of a film as the MPAA deems it an adult film for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, pervasive language, some sexual references and brief drug use. It contains some of the most realistic looking special make-up and prostheses effects to make even some of the devoted horror fans gag. (3 out of 5 Stars)
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Chris Rock, Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols, and Samuel L. Jackson
Directed by: Darren Lynn Bousman
Genre: Crime, Horror, Mystery
MPAA Rating: R for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, pervasive language, some sexual references and brief drug use
Running Time: 1 hr. 33 min
Opening Date: May 14, 2021
Distributed by: Lionsgate
Released in: Theaters
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
