Do you want to play a game? Well, how about this: Watch "Spiral: The Book of Saw," and
see how many Easter eggs you can find.
Sure, the movie's central case may be a little too easy to solve, especially for viewers
who are used to puzzling out all the twists in the "Saw" series' sprawling and convoluted
mythology, but thankfully, that's not the only mystery lurking in the ninth entry in
the ever-growing franchise. During Detective Zeke Banks' hunt for the latest Jigsaw copycat,
you'll find plenty of nods to past "Saw" installments, as well as a few other movies — if you know
where to look.
Like the killer itself, the references in "Spiral" can be fairly elusive, which is why
we've given you a head start. These are a few of the small details hidden in director
Darren Lynn Bousman's latest horror flick, but make sure you keep your eyes peeled for
others. Per "Saw" tradition, this is one test you really, really don't want to fail.
Plot-wise, "Spiral: The Book of Saw" doesn't have much to do with previous Saw films. The
killer in "Spiral" is inspired by John Kramer, better known to the world as the serial killer
Jigsaw, and uses part of his iconography, but he has a decidedly different identity
and motivation.
And yet, "Spiral" is still part of the "Saw" universe, and it's not totally void of references
to past movies. John Kramer's face shows up in photographs and his name is dropped a few
times, as are off-hand references to his apprentices — as "Saw" fans know, he has a bunch of
them. Look carefully and you'll also catch a framed photo of a tricycle, which is the
signature ride of Kramer's puppet, Billy.
But the connection between "Spiral" and its predecessor could go even deeper. Early in
the film, crooked Detective Fitch ends up in a trap that rips his fingers clean off.
Well, on Reddit, one viewer thinks there's a diagram of the same trap hidden all the
way back in "Saw II." About 57 minutes into "Saw II," there's a close-up of Kramer's bulletin
board, which features designs of his deadly devices. On the right, you can see a schematic
featuring a person with his arms shackled and outstretched, like Fitch's are. On the
left are drawings of a helmet that look a lot like the headpiece Fitch wears right before
his demise.
After years of filling out the casts with relatively lesser-known actors, "Spiral" is
a "Saw" movie anchored by two very recognizable faces.
Chris Rock, who plays Detective Zeke Banks, is one of the most popular stand-up comics
in the world, and a veteran actor with roles extending from "Lethal Weapon 4" to the fourth
season of "Fargo." And then, playing his father Marcus, is Samuel L. Jackson -- a legendary
actor who's been in, well, just about everything.
"You wanna play games, motherf-----?"
Still, if you're going to list Jackson's most iconic roles, his turn in "Pulp Fiction" has
to be near the top of the list. In Quentin Tarantino's groundbreaking crime film, Jackson
plays Jules Winnfield, a hitman who, alongside his partner Vincent Vega, finds himself wrapped
up in an intricate plot involving a crime boss, a mysterious briefcase, two petty thugs,
and a whole heap of trouble.
"God damn, Jimmy. This some serious gourmet s---!"
Thanks in large part to Jackon's performance, "Pulp Fiction" remains a favorite — and
one of the most-quoted movies ever — to this day.
As such, it's awfully nice of "Spiral: The Book of Saw" to pay tribute to one of Jackson's
most memorable on-screen appearances. The door to the South Metro police station's cold
case room bears the manufacturer name "Vincent and Jules." Given the movie's cast, that's
definitely not a coincidence.
Darren Lynn Bousman, who directed "Spiral," is no stranger to either horror or the "Saw"
franchise. As the director of "Saw II," "Saw III," and "Saw IV," Bousman helped to define
the visual style of the series. He's also the director behind other movies steeped in
the horror genre like "Repo! The Genetic Opera," "The Devil's Carnival," "11-11-11," and plenty
more.
But that's not all. Over the past five years or so, Bousman also added a number of immersive
theater experiences to his resume, each one of which brought audience members into the
narrative itself. In projects like "The Tension Experience" and "The Lust Experience," for
example, participants played a years-long augmented reality game about a fictional — and
very evil — organization, before heading to a live two-hour show where they interacted
with myriad characters and uncovered more about the story.
"You may or may not interact with Leonard over here, who is not a guy you want to upset."
"Let's sit down now. We're gonna play a game. Come on. Right over here on the couch."
"Theatre Macabre" had a script that was over 1,000 pages long, and featured multiple paths
through its story, all depending on which choices individual audience members made.
It sounds like cool and provocative stuff, so it shouldn't be too surprising that Bousman
paid tribute to it in "Spiral." When Zeke and his fellow officers head under the bridge
to look for Fitch's body, you can see the "Tension Experience" logo spray-painted on
a pillar. "The Lust Experience" and "Theatre Macabre" symbols are also hidden on the "Spiral"
sets, although you'll have to look very, very hard to find them.
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