Samuel L. Jackson Curses His Way Through The New Saw Movie Trailer

Chris Rock's soft reboot of the Saw franchise, whose title is Spiral, hinges on a plot about a sadistic cop killer

Want to play another game? Though the Saw franchise eventually ran out of steam after an almost two decade-long run that consisted of eight movies and more than $1 billion in box office returns, last year's announcement that Chris Rock – yes, that Chris Rock – had been handed the keys to the franchise was enough to inspire, at the very least, a curious tilt of the head.

Well, the resulting film, named Spiral, executive produced by and starring Rock, just unveiled its first teaser trailer. With a story that hones in on two cops, played by Rock and actor Max Minghella, as they investigate the gruesome murders of their fellow officers, the grimy aesthetic resembles the Saw franchise we know and (sometimes) love in a number of ways.

In other ways, not so much. Take the appearance of Samuel L. Jackson, for instance, who turns up here to curse his way through the entire teaser, spouting lines like, “This shit's gonna go sideways fast.” You have to wonder how seriously we're meant to take this soft reboot.

Casting Jackson was an undeniably clever move, though. It's going to be hard for audiences to resist a movie in which Nick Fury, on the hunt for the crazed mastermind behind a new array of deathly traps, says, “You wanna play games, motherfucker?” Talk about your self-aware sequels.

Spiral will be released in cinemas on May 15, 2020.

Other Features

Repertory Rundown: What to Watch in London This Week, From Little Women to Sergio Leone

From classics to cult favourites, our team highlight some of the best one-off screenings and re-releases showing this week in the capital

Repertory Rundown: What to Watch in London This Week, From Coppola to Cross of Iron

From classics to cult favourites, our team highlight some of the best one-off screenings and re-releases showing this week in the capital

20 Best Films of 2023 (So Far)

With the year at the halfway point, our writers choose their favourite films, from daring documentaries to box office bombs

Repertory Rundown: What to Watch in London This Week, From Mistress America to The Man Who Wasn’t There

From classics to cult favourites, our team highlight some of the best one-off screenings and re-releases showing this week in the capital

Reviews

The Innocent review – 60s-inspired heist movie with an existential twist

In his fourth feature film, writer-director Louis Garrel explores with wit and tenderness the risk and worth of second chances

Baato review – Nepal’s past and future collide in an immersive, fraught documentary

A mountain trek intertwines with a road-building project, granting incisive, if underpowered, insight into a much underseen world

The Beanie Bubble review – a grim new low for the “corporate biopic” genre

With none of the saving graces of Tetris, Air, or Barbie, this ambition-free look at the Beanie Baby craze is pure mediocrity

Everybody Loves Jeanne review – thoroughly modern fable of grief, romantic confusion, and climate anxiety

Celine Deveaux's French-Portuguese debut can be too quirky for its own good, but a fantastically written lead character keeps it afloat