The newest edition to the “Saw” franchise, “Spiral: From The Book of Saw”, could be defined as just any regular “Saw” movie. While the ninth installment brings the audience a fresh cast, different traps and more, only a few things really stand out about them. It’s one of those movies where viewers are getting what they came for, but nothing more or less than that. It is just like any Saw movie that has come out in the past, and while the creators certainly did try to make the movie stand out, it just didn’t feel any different. 

   One thing to compliment “Saw” for is the cast and music selection. The cast for the movie was great, starring Chris Rock as the main character and Samuel L. Jackson as his father. The two do a decent job throughout the movie and their performances made it significantly better. The soundtrack for the movie was very enjoyable as well, featuring artists like 21 Savage rapping over remixed “Saw” themes. Without the cast or music, this movie would’ve certainly felt as bland as it could be, but these two aspects made the experience way more fun and memorable. 

   The storyline for “Spiral” isn’t surprising at all, especially for someone who has seen a “Saw” movie in the past. A new Jigsaw arrives, and also with them comes along a new motive on why they’re putting people in traps. The motive for this movie is taking out corrupt cops, in which the lead detective, Chris Rock, must stop the new Jigsaw before they begin to wipe out the whole police force. The ending to the movie is a strange one, and is again, not surprising for anyone who has seen a “Saw” movie in the past. It was still interesting to watch, along with the traps still being as brutal and inhumane as they were before. 

   The traps are what truly define a “Saw” movie, and “Spiral’s” traps weren’t bad at all, but definitely didn’t stand out due to what has been seen before. While they are still extremely gory and disturbing, these traps didn’t encompass a lot of psychological terror like previous ones did. They all seemed to end pretty short, with no mind games being played. But the traps are still definitely able to make a viewer squirm in their seat, and that’s what it is all about.  

   The “Saw” franchise now has nine movies on its belt, making it harder for the creators to come up with better and more original ideas. It’s gotten to the point where everything has become very predictable and bland. That’s not necessarily the creator’s fault, but it’s more the fault of seeing nine movies worth of traps and plots that define what “Saw” is, and what to expect. But, from what “Spiral” has shown, it looks like there is no sign of stopping the franchise anytime soon, with an unsurprising ending that shows promise towards a new storyline.