SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW

'SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW' FINAL TRAILER

It's very rare for a 'Saw' film to make me laugh; with the exception of the first instalment, the series is lazy, overly gory and has overstayed its welcome for at least three films. It would be pretty difficult for even the most skilled actor to break through such a rigid formula, even in a spin-off series, but Chris Rock tries his ass off - and in doing so, is far and away the best thing about the whole film. His performance oscillates between hilarious (a certain line about "riding dick until dusk" had my entire screening laughing) and hilariously over-the-top, his glare getting steelier with each new casualty. It appears the series itself is in on the joke a bit too, using super-2000s effects and zooms that, while cool back then, look downright ridiculous in 2021. Don't be surprised if you find yourself laughing with the film and then at it in the space of five minutes. Samuel L. Jackson's ('Spider-Man: Far From Home') film appearances in years of late have begun to feel more and more like spent-three-days-on-set paychecks, and while this is obviously the case with 'Spiral', he appears to be having at least a bit of fun in the handful of scenes he's in. Even if it's all a bit cliché, at least it's camp.

And herein lies the problem with 'Spiral' and the 'Saw' franchise at large: even if they are clever, the kills are just that little bit too sadistic to be enjoyable. It's hard for general audiences to laugh if they're covering their eyes (even I, with a pretty strong stomach, found myself cowering at a certain contraption involving the removal of multiple appendages). While the attempt to build a story allows audiences to catch their breath - with one rare exception that pays homage to the first film - the series still doesn't seem to know how to balance gore with goofiness in a way that, say, the 'Final Destination' series did so well. It does end on an absolutely wonderful, largely unresolved cliffhanger, no doubt a tactic to spawn sequels and leave viewers hungry for more.

It's hard to ignore how low-budget 'Spiral' looks when it's not setting up elaborate kills, which is shocking considering the film had roughly US$20 million to spend. The police precinct scenes look like they were ripped straight from an episode of 'Law and Order', right down to the super-warm filter often thrown over the top. This may be, however, by design; at the risk of giving away too many plot details, much of 'Spiral' hinges on the corruption within the American police system, attempting to point out flaws that have for so long benefitted from television copaganda. As a result, it feels like a strange response to have Chris Rock as apparently the only cop with morals, especially given how much of a spotlight has been given to racially-motivated police violence in the last year. While some crooked (white) police officers face horrible ends, the film's implication in the final act that the root of this corruption began with a person of colour leaves an incredibly bad taste in the mouth. 'Spiral' wants to tap into current cultural discourse to milk it for a gorefest without actually saying anything about it (which I guess is a bit too much to ask of a 'Saw' film in the first place).

Even if 'Spiral' isn't the most original film ever made, it holds audience interest for long enough, and its kills are just memorable enough to justify its existence beyond a simple cash grab, which is far more than can be said for some of the franchise's more recent instalments. Come for a breath of fresh air from a long-stale franchise, stay for a memorable Chris Rock performance and the hope of better sequels to come.

Click here to read our review of 'Spiral: From the Book of Saw'.

To celebrate the release of 'Spiral: From the Book of Saw' in cinemas, we're giving you the chance to win a double pass.

To win one of five double passes thanks to StudioCanal, just make sure you follow both steps:

Competition opens at 5:00pm AEST on Thursday 6th May 2021 and closes at 11:59 pm AEST on Thursday 13th May 2021. Five winners will be chosen at random on Friday 14th May 2021. To successfully win, entrants must fulfil the above entry conditions before the time the competition closes. Current members/followers are eligible to enter the competition. Only one entry per person. Only one winner per household. To be a valid winner, the entrant must not have won a prize from SWITCH within the last 28 days. Each winner will receive one double pass to 'Spiral: From the Book of Saw'. By entering, you agree to receive occasional emails from SWITCH in the future. If you decide to unsubscribe from these updates, any further entries will not be applicable. Only Australian residents are eligible to enter.