Saw: Spiral

Jigsaw is dead - but his bloody legacy lives on. A gruesome series of murders that seems to be inspired by the Jigsaw Killer keeps Detective Ezekiel "Zeke" Banks (Chris Rock) and his new, inexperienced partner William Schenk (Max Minghella) on edge. The killer seems to be targeting cops in the process. Zeke, who put a partner in prison a few years ago, must now investigate within his own ranks once again, hoping for support from his father Marcus Banks (Samuel L. Jackson), the former chief of his precinct. But the killer always seems to be one step ahead of the detectives with his murderous games...

With "Saw: Spiral", director Darren Lynn Bousman (Parts 2 - 4) returns to the "Saw" franchise. It's to Bousman's credit that he wanted to turn an idea from producer and lead actor Chris Rock into something that breathes new life into the franchise after eight films, without completely losing sight of what made the series so successful. In fact, the beginning can convince, it lets feel clear "Saw" vibes, while the story seems to go in a new direction. This gives the promising impression that the series might actually have found its way back to its old strength with the ninth film.

Unfortunately, this impression quickly dissipates into thin air. Despite a few atmospheric moments, Bousman barely manages to build any real tension. The traps that are laid out here are occasionally very bloody, but not particularly original. The same goes for the resolution, which I saw coming a mile away. It's true that the screenplay makes an effort to lure the audience on a wrong track over and over again. But especially fans of the franchise should not be so easily misled and will smell a rat very quickly.

"Saw: Spiral" is quite decent as a thriller, even if there are some weaknesses in terms of dramaturgy and originality. The cast is okay, but neither Chris Rock, nor Samuel L. Jackson or Max Minghella can really leave a lasting impression. In this respect, a "Seeable" would be absolutely appropriate here. But who expects a really good "Saw"-flick with real surprises, will certainly not really enthusiastically leave the cinema here. Therefore, the "Seeable" is also given only with some reservations!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp