Spiral: From the Book of Saw

Behind the badge in a city famous for its brutal past, Detective Ezekiel Banks and his new partner take on a grisly murder spree that echoes old police nightmares. Zeke, confident and sharp, works under the scrutiny of a revered veteran who distrusts him, and soon finds the case dragging him into a lethal game staged by a calculating killer. As the bodies pile up, the violence doubles as a test of loyalty and nerve, forcing Zeke to reckon with a system that has shaped him. The investigation twists into a maze where every clue could be a trap and every witness might be lying. Pressure from colleagues weighs on him. The city feels claustrophobic as the case tightens, suffocating.

Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, Spiral marks a return to the Saw franchise and leans on the series concept created by James Wan and Leigh Whannell. It features Chris Rock and Samuel L Jackson in roles and opened in 2021.

With a $20 million budget Spiral grossed $40,618,920 worldwide, roughly doubling its cost. The mid-range horror release performed solidly and kept the Saw franchise active in theaters, confirming there was still appetite for its trademark traps and broadened its audience.

Critics were mixed, praising Rock and Jacksons performances while arguing the narrative sticks closely to Saw playbook. Viewers are invited to think about police accountability, family legacy, and the thin line between punishment and mercy, all wrapped in a relentlessly grim procedural mood. Its pacing favors tension over nonstop action.

Spiral sits within the Saw legacy as a police procedural flavored entry that revisits traps and moral puzzles in a modern setting. Its darker tone and updated antagonists drew curious audiences, while fans debated how it expands the franchise's approach to punishment, guilt, and consequence for fans of sharp thrillers.