Spiral Saw (2021): Spiral: From the Book of Saw Cast, Plot and Ending
Spiral Saw here means Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021), the ninth release in the series and a spinoff directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, with Chris Rock as Detective Zeke Banks (it has nothing to do with the power tool of the same name). The film runs 93 minutes, opened in US theaters on May 14, 2021, co-stars Samuel L. Jackson, Max Minghella and Marisol Nichols, and follows a new killer who borrows Jigsaw's trap formula to hunt police officers. It earned $40.6 million worldwide on a $20 million budget, and it sits after Jigsaw (2017) and before Saw X in the saw movies in order list.
- US release
- May 14, 2021
- Runtime
- 1h 33m
- Rating
- R / 18 / R18+
- Director
- Darren Lynn Bousman
- Budget
- $20 million
- Worldwide
- $41 million
Spiral: From the Book of Saw Trailer
Spiral Saw Plot: How the Story Begins
Spiral: From the Book of Saw opens with a Fourth of July parade, a foot chase into a sewer and an off duty detective who never makes it home. Detective Marv Bozwick follows a thief underground and is attacked by a figure in a pig mask. He wakes up trapped in a subway tunnel and is killed by a train, which gives the film its first set piece and sets the tone for what follows.
Detective Zeke Banks, an outcast on the force because of his past, is paired with a rookie, William Schenk, to work the case. Zeke sees that the trap matches the style of the dead Jigsaw Killer, so the question becomes whether someone is copying John Kramer or whether the old game never really ended. More police officers soon become targets. If you are new to the series, the john kramer saw page explains the original killer, and the zeke banks spiral page covers the lead.
Spiral Saw Cast and Characters
Saw cast
Zeke BanksChris Rock
William SchenkMax Minghella
Marcus BanksSamuel L. Jackson
Angie GarzaMarisol Nichols
Marv BozwickDan Petronijevic
Detective FitchRichard Zeppieri
Peter DunleavyPatrick McManus
Jeannie LewisAli Johnson
Kara BoswickZoie Palmer
Sergeant MorgeyDylan Roberts- Detective DruryK.C. Collins
- Detective KrausEdie Inksetter
Spiral: From the Book of Saw Stills
Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021), still 1 
Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021), still 2 
Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021), still 3 
Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021), still 4 
Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021), still 5
Release Dates
| Market | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US | May 14, 2021confirmed | boxofficemojo.com |
| UK | May 17, 2021reported | boxofficemojo.com |
| AU | May 13, 2021reported | boxofficemojo.com |
Where to Watch Spiral: From the Book of Saw
| Market | Subscription | Rent or buy |
|---|---|---|
| US | Hulu, fuboTV, YouTube TV, FXNow | Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex |
| UK | Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel | Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video, Sky Store, YouTube |
| AU | None listed | JustWatch TV Store, Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, YouTube, Fetch TV |
Streaming availability data from JustWatch, checked 2026-11-03.
Who Directed and Wrote Spiral: From the Book of Saw?
| Director | Darren Lynn Bousman |
|---|---|
| Writers | James Wan, Leigh Whannell, Pete Goldfinger, Josh Stolberg |
| Producers | Mark Burg, Oren Koules |
| Music | Charlie Clouser |
| Cinematography | Jordan Oram |
Box Office
| Budget | $20 million |
|---|---|
| Domestic (US and Canada) | $23 million |
| International | $17 million |
| Worldwide | $41 million |
| Worldwide, in September 2026 dollars | $51 million |
Saw box office for every film.
What Songs Are in Spiral: From the Book of Saw?
Charlie Clouser composed the score for Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021), and no album is credited to that score. The one song on record for the film is "Spiral" by 21 Savage, and it was written for the title.
"Spiral" plays over the end titles after the film's final scene. That placement means the song closes the film rather than running under the story, so it arrives once the plot has finished. Writing a track for the title and placing it at the close ties the ending to the film's own name. In my view, that is the right call, since the closing song belongs to the film from the start.
- "Spiral" by 21 Savage (written for the film, plays over the end titles)
Clouser's score is the other half of the film's music, and it is worth listening for alongside the song. If you want to see how this spin-off sits against the rest of the series, the Saw soundtrack page gathers the composers and songs for the whole franchise in one place.
Songs in Spiral: From the Book of Saw
Sources: themoviedb.org, sonymusic.ca
Spiral Saw Full Plot SummarySpoilers
The full plot of Spiral follows Zeke Banks as the killer works through the police department, and it ends with a revealed culprit and a death that Zeke cannot prevent.
After Bozwick dies in the subway tunnel, Zeke and Schenk work the case. Another officer, Detective Fitch, dies in a trap that tears off his fingers, and suspicion falls on Zeke because of his history with Fitch. A box containing a pig puppet and a piece of Schenk's tattooed skin leads police to a butcher shop, where they find what looks like Schenk's skinned body. Zeke's father Marcus, a retired police chief, is then abducted. Captain Angie Garza dies in a cold storage trap involving boiling wax.
Zeke is captured and chained in a warehouse, but he escapes with a bobby pin. There he finds his former partner Peter Dunleavy locked in a glass crushing device and cannot free him in time. Schenk then reveals that he is alive and is the killer, having faked his death with another body. His real surname is Emmerson, and he is the son of a man Dunleavy murdered to protect a corrupt cop.
Schenk says Marcus, as chief, covered for dirty officers under a rule called Article 8. He gives Zeke a revolver with one bullet and a choice: shoot a target to free Marcus and let Schenk go, or kill Schenk and let Marcus die. Zeke shoots the target and lowers his father to the ground, then fights Schenk. A SWAT team arrives and sets off a tripwire that hoists Marcus up with a gun strapped to his arm, so they shoot him dead as a suspected gunman. Schenk escapes while Zeke screams.
When Was Spiral Released? Premiere and Release Dates
Spiral: From the Book of Saw opened in US theaters on May 14, 2021, with the UK following on May 17 and Australia on May 13. No separate premiere event with a date, city or venue is documented for the film, so the theatrical release is the date to use.
The schedule moved more than once. Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures first dated the film for October 23, 2020, then moved it to May 15, 2020. Later, Lionsgate moved the release up from May 21, 2021 to May 14, 2021.
Box Office Mojo lists the film as the sixth film in the series to open at number one, with an $8.8 million domestic opening. Overall it took about $23 million in the US and $17 million internationally, a worldwide total of $40.6 million, the lowest among the ten films. The full table is on the saw box office page.
Spiral Saw Ending ExplainedSpoilers
The Spiral Saw ending is a rigged choice: Schenk gives Zeke a one bullet decision, and no answer saves Marcus, because the police kill him anyway.
Schenk, whose real surname is Emmerson, built the game around Article 8, the rule he says Marcus used to cover for dirty officers when he was chief. In my opinion, that is the point of the film. A Jigsaw game, as Saw (2004) introduced it, tests a person's will to live and offers a way out through effort. Schenk's game only offers a way out for himself, so Zeke saves his father's life and then loses him moments later when a SWAT team shoots him as a suspected gunman. The strapped gun on Marcus's arm is the cruelest detail, because the team fires on the trap, not the man.
Schenk escapes, and the film does not show his later fate. It could be argued that this leaves a sequel hook, since his crusade against corrupt officers is unfinished and Zeke ends the film broken, not redeemed. In my opinion the reveal is easy to see coming for anyone who knows the series, because a body that cannot be checked rarely stays dead in a Saw film. The better question is why it still lands, and I think the answer is Zeke, who stays loyal to the department that cast him out and pays for it twice.
If you want to see where Spiral fits in the story, the saw timeline explained page places it tenth and last chronologically.
Where Was Spiral Filmed?
Spiral: From the Book of Saw was filmed in Toronto, Canada, which stood in for the film's New York setting. Deadline reported in July 2019 that production was under way there as Samuel L. Jackson joined the cast.
Toronto is familiar ground for the franchise, since Saw II, Saw IV and Jigsaw (2017) were all shot there as well. For another Toronto shoot, see jigsaw 2017.
Spiral: From the Book of Saw Trivia
The most useful trivia about Spiral concerns who made it and how often it moved. Darren Lynn Bousman, who directed Saw II, III and IV, returned to direct from a script by Pete Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg, and Chris Rock is credited with the story and also served as an executive producer.
Samuel L. Jackson's casting as Rock's character's father was reported on July 8, 2019, as production got under way in Toronto, and Max Minghella and Marisol Nichols joined around the same time. The release date shifted from October 23, 2020 to May 15, 2020, and then from May 21, 2021 to May 14, 2021.
Box Office Mojo lists the film as the sixth Saw film to open at number one, with an $8.8 million domestic opening, and The Numbers lists the production budget at $20 million. It is a spinoff, so it sits outside the main saga, yet it is ninth in release order and tenth chronologically, and Saw X (2023) was set earlier, between Saw (2004) and Saw II. Read saw x next for that, or go back to saw movies for the full list.
Facts
- Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) opened in US theaters on May 14, 2021. Box Office Mojo, checked 2026-11-03
- Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) runs 93 minutes. TMDB, checked 2026-11-03
- Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) was directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. TMDB, checked 2026-11-03
- Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) had a production budget of $20,000,000. The Numbers, checked 2026-11-03
- Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) grossed $23,216,862 at the domestic box office. Box Office Mojo, checked 2026-11-03
- Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) grossed $17,402,058 internationally. Box Office Mojo, checked 2026-11-03
- Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) grossed $40,618,920 worldwide. Box Office Mojo, checked 2026-11-03
- Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) opened to $8,750,034 domestically. The Numbers, checked 2026-11-03
- Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) was scored by Charlie Clouser. TMDB, checked 2026-11-03
- Production on Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) was under way in Toronto in July 2019 when Samuel L. Jackson's casting was reported. Deadline, checked 2026-11-03
FAQs
What is the plot of the movie Spiral?
Spiral: From the Book of Saw follows Detective Zeke Banks, an outcast on the police force, and rookie William Schenk as they investigate a killer who copies Jigsaw's traps. It begins when off duty Detective Marv Bozwick is attacked by a figure in a pig mask during a Fourth of July parade and killed in a subway tunnel. More police officers become targets, and Zeke becomes a suspect.
Is the movie Spiral available on Netflix?
No, Spiral: From the Book of Saw was not on Netflix in the US, UK or Australia when listings were checked on 2026-11-03. In the US it streamed on Hulu, fuboTV, YouTube TV and FXNow, in the UK on the Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, and in Australia it was available to rent or buy from services such as Apple TV and Amazon Video. Saw X is the Saw film on Netflix in the US and Australia. Streaming rights change often, so check where to watch saw for current listings.
Will there be a Spiral 2?
No Spiral sequel has been announced. Lionsgate and Blumhouse Atomic Monster have announced that Mike P. Nelson will direct the next Saw film, which TheWrap reported on September 24, 2026 and called Saw 11, though the official title is unconfirmed and no release date has been given. The ending of Spiral leaves Schenk free, which leaves room for a follow up, but that is a matter of story and not a studio plan. See the saw 11 page for the latest status.
Is Spiral Saw a good movie?
Whether Spiral is good is a matter of taste. The facts show a film that opened at number one in the US with $8.8 million, then finished with $40.6 million worldwide on a $20 million budget, the lowest worldwide gross of the ten films. In my opinion it suits viewers who want a police thriller built on Saw traps, and those who want Jigsaw himself at the center may find it a step away from the series. Our rankings are on saw movies ranked and saw reviews.
What was the point of the Saw Spiral?
Spiral is a spinoff that gives the series' trap formula to a new killer who targets police officers and questions who the department protects. The film's argument is about loyalty inside the force, and it turns on a rule called Article 8, which Schenk says protected corrupt officers. In series terms, it is the ninth release in order and the last film chronologically.
Is Spiral as gory as Saw (2004)?
Spiral carries the same R rating in the US and 18 in the UK as the other Saw films, and its traps include a train death, a trap that tears off fingers, boiling wax and a glass crushing device. In Australia it is rated R18+, stricter than the MA 15+ given to Saw (2004), Saw II, Saw III, Saw IV, Saw VI, Jigsaw and Saw X, though Saw V and Saw 3D also carry R 18+. Violence runs through the series, so expect it throughout.