- Spiral: From the Book of Saw is considered one of the worst horror films ever made.
- Despite its poor reception, Chris Rock is interested in making a sequel.
- The decision to move away from the franchise’s legacy villain contributed to the film’s failure.
Spiral: From the Book of Saw holds a notoriously bad reputation among horror film enthusiasts. Films like Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers are often compared to this entry in the Saw franchise. However, Chris Rock is still willing to make a sequel. Producer Mark Burg mentions in an interview with SFX Magazine (as reported by GamesRadar+): “Chris Rock would love to do one, but our focus, because of the success and the response to Saw X, is Saw 11.”
One significant issue with Spiral was the departure from the franchise’s legacy villain, the Jigsaw Killer (played by Tobin Bell). Instead, the Spiral Killer (Max Minghella) was made the film’s antagonist. Additionally, the focus on Rock’s character, Detective Zeke Banks, contributed to the failure in the movie’s ninth installment.
Upon its release on May 14, 2021, Spiral did not generate the expected box office numbers. It opened with only $8.8 million during its first weekend, becoming the lowest-grossing entry in the Saw series with a domestic total of $23.2 million. Critics were harsh, as the film earned only 37% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer. Nonetheless, Spiral’s audience score of 75% and its “B-” CinemaScore demonstrate that some fans appreciated the ninth Saw installment.
Saw X, released in 2023, featured the return of Tobin Bell as John Kramer (the Jigsaw killer) and was well received by both fans (89% audience score) and critics (80% Tomatometer), earning $53.6 million domestically and $110.6 million worldwide. If producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules truly wish to feature Chris Rock in future installments, having him play his classic Lil’ Penny character against Saw’s Billy the Puppet could prove entertaining for viewers.