Spiral: From The Book Of Saw Review - 4 Ups & 6 Downs

5. The Frantic Pacing

The overwhelming majority of the Saw movies clock in at a tight 90-ish minutes, and while that's usually a good thing, in the case of Spiral it makes the entire movie feel incredibly frantic and rushed.

Urgency may be necessary for any Saw movie, but given that this film needs to introduce us to an entirely new cast of characters with their own distinct backstories - unveiled through flashbacks, per the series' custom - 93 minutes does feel a little too hurried.

Director Darren Lynn Bousman gives scenes no room at all to breathe, frantically transporting viewers between gory traps, the hunt for Jigsaw, and those aforementioned flashbacks.

Given that the marketing suggested Spiral would be a more contemplative detective thriller in the vein of Se7en, a longer runtime to support that vibe would've benefitted the film immensely.

Instead, scenes cut away the moment they've got their basic meaning across, preventing audiences from being able to savour much of anything at all.