Opened: May 14, 2021

Directed by: Darren Lynn Bousman

Starring: Chris Rock, Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols, Samuel L. Jackson, Dan Petronijevic, Richard Zeppieri, Patrick McManus, Edie Inksetter & Thomas Mitchell

Reviving the Saw series might sound like a good idea but when you strip the reboot of the things that made the original great, it feels like bad fanfiction.

When members of the police force start getting murdered, Detective Zeke Banks (Chris Rock) asks to be put on as lead investigator. After being paired up with rookie Detective William Schenk (Max Minghella), the signs of a Jigsaw copycat killer start leading toward Zeke’s father Marcus Banks (Samuel L. Jackson).

Though the film was marketed as “from the book of Saw,” Tobin Bell’s Jigsaw/John Kramer is only seen in a photo and the dementedly beloved Billy is replaced by a pig puppet.

However, the shining light is the performances. Rock, Minghella, Jackson and Marisol Nichols are seasoned and it’s like the first Saw with more well-known actors.

Final say: Spirals down. ★★☆☆☆