Reviews

Spoiler Alert (Without revealing who the killer is / killers are)

Let me start with the ending. A lot of people say the ending is awful but I actually like it. The second twist made me thrilled especially combined with previous dialogues like "cops shoot first". The puppet trap is my favorite in Spiral, which highlights the continuity of the plot. Other SAW movies have powerful plot twists or strong ending sequences, but the ending of Spiral is revealed incrementally which has no specific turning point. I don't think the effort to set the stage for the end is futile though it's totally understandable that many people argue this endling is lame because Spiral is way too predictable.

Secondly, get back to the story. A Jigsaw copycat sets up traps to exact revenge on a group of corrupt cops. As I mentioned in the last part, it's easy to point out the killer halfway through the movie because the red herrings are extremely obvious. To be frank, I think there is nothing much to talk about the story. It's simple, and contains less suspense than previous SAW movies. I expected to see the bathroom trap again with high hopes, but Zeke managed to escape in five minutes without a single bruise? Such an insult to SAW, SAW III and SAW 3D. Perhaps it's enough just to watch the trailers.

The following part is about the direction. I still cannot believe Darren Lynn Bousman did poorly in Spiral. I keep asking myself what went wrong. Many of the shooting styles and editing were used repeatedly in previous movies. In SAW 2004, they were stunning. In SAW V, they were mediocre. In Spiral, they are boring. In contrast to the incredibly great cross-cutting in SAW II and Jigsaw, the cross-cutting in Spiral is lack of quality. Sometimes I fail to distinguish a series of flashbacks from what's happening at present. In summary, the shots in Spiral tried to duplicate shots in previous movies but in vain.

Next, I want to say I like seeing corrupt cops in horror movies, but SAW II already talked about corrupt cops and there is even a corrupt cop that turned into one of the major antagonists. From 2005 to 2021, the corrupt cops have never changed a bit: broken marriage, rebellious teen/adult son, PTSD, etc. Maybe these are typical of cops, but as far as I can judge, decent storytelling and noticeable character arcs never seem to appear in the movie. Eric treated his suspects violently and aggressively but he loved his son deeply; Hoffman did many dirty things in the department but he did care for his sister and once rejected to see how the victims were tortured; Halloran let many criminals free and his confession further proved the degree of his corruption. What about Zeke? Where is the depth of his character? Honestly, I see nothing.

Since I mentioned Zeke, I feel it's necessary to comment on Chris Rock's performance. One word: cringey. Zeke is definitely not a likeable character and there is no character development of him at all. I don't like Bobby Dagen in SAW 3D, but at least Bobby is part of the movie and the actor knows how to act. Chris Rock acts like a ten-year-old boy who just learnt how to swear therefore he says every F-word deliberately. What's worse, Zeke looks like a random guy who comes from a cop comedy. However, other actors and actresses are really good. They remind me of what SAW franchise used to be. I guess being an executive producer does give a person some privileges.

As for the original score, I suppose Charlie Clouser is as much tired as I am. While watching, I didn't even notice whether there was something new. Though the good old Zepp is always awesome.

In conclusion, Spiral is bad. For average audience, Spiral is not worth watching. For SAW fans, Spiral is a huge let-down. I won't recommend other people to watch it. Bur for those who are interested in the ending or like corrupt cop movies, it's not a bad idea to give it a shot.

5 out of 10.

Christmas Evil is different from those typical 80s slasher films, which gives me a lot of surprises. As a matter of fact, it's strangely similar to Joker 2019. Compared to other holiday-themed slasher films, Christmas Evil doesn't contain many brutal killing scenes, but concentrates more on Harry's mental conflicts. There are no silly victims throughout the film, only annoying adults. In the end, local people chasing Harry reminds me of M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder 1931. The ending of this film is oddly touching, and I feel sorry for Harry. Give credit to Harry's actor Brandon Maggart for making the film decent. In summary, Christmas Evil is quite unique and impressive. I definitely recommend watching it. 7 out of 10.

Apt Pupil (1998) is a well-structured film with great performance. The shots and the music are unforgettable. However, compared to the extraordinary novella, Apt Puil (1998) is just so-so. According to the novella, Todd is born from evil and makes his own decisions instead of simply following Dussander's guidance. But in this film, it seemed that Todd's odd behavior is a result of Dussander's guidance. Personally, I think Stephen King draws an analogy between Todd and Dussander. Hence I'd like to say that the ending of the film is confusing. Todd is supposed to commit a crime and then be brought to justice just like Dussander.

There is a lot of psychological description in the novella. It is a pity that none of it has ever been shown in the film. The adaptation is a good attempt, but I think it loses the essence of the original novella. If I didn't read the novella, I would think it was a stunning movie. Those who have read the novella may not be satisfied with this film, though for those who haven't read the novella yet, Apt Pupil (1998) is still a film worth watching.