The Saw franchise has captured the imaginations of horror fans for decades. The phrase “do you want to play a game?” is synonymous with a terrifyingly sadistic villain known as Jigsaw. The new Spiral film, however, has a new killer who was inspired by the infamous John Kramer that is now hunting police officers.
There was much fan speculation on the identity of the killer that Det. Zeke Banks (played by the one and only Chris Rock) would chase. The interesting thing about the new Jigsaw killer is that there may be a more vigilante side to his mission rather than a twisted brutal side.
10 Chris Rock Introduced The Idea Of A Jigsaw At a Wedding
While comedy legend Chris Rock did not write the screenplay that brought about the new Jigsaw killer, he did introduce the concept of extending the film to the Vice Chairman of Lionsgate, Michael Burns.
Rock claimed that the two of them bumped into each other at a wedding in Brazil and Rock was very interested in starring in films that extended the franchise with a new Jigsaw killer. Not only did Spiral give fans a new inventive Jigsaw killer but it also gave viewers one of Chris Rock’s best performances (despite mixed reactions to the film).
9 The New Jigsaw Killer Is The First One Who Is Not an Apprentice of the Original
Throughout the Saw franchise, The Jigsaw killer was either the original Jigsaw, John Kramer, or an apprentice. But this will be the first Jigsaw Killer to not be an apprentice of the original Jigsaw, who was killed at the end of Saw 3 but left behind students of his twisted games.
Though the writers discussed at length about adding a Tobin Bell cameo, they ultimately decided against it as they wanted to have a fresh start. In the end, it was the better choice.
8 The New Jigsaw’s Motive is Completely Different Than the Original
The original Jigsaw had the belief that he was testing his victims on how much they valued life and if they would be willing to do anything to survive. The motive of this Jigsaw copycat is one that hits closer to home for the killer.
After witnessing his dad being killed by a corrupt cop, a cop which Zeke turns in, the killer Emerson decides to go on an all-out war against crooked cops in the style of the Jigsaw killer. One of the best quotes sums up Emerson’s motivation: “Whoever did this has another motive —something personal.”
7 Many Had A Theory That The New Jigsaw Killer Would Be A Woman
Before the release of the film, there were a lot of theories and rumors circulating online as to who the new Jigsaw killer would be. Many people thought the new killer would be a woman because of recorded messages with a high pitch that may have been used to disguise the voice.
Many also thought that it could’ve been Captain Angie Garza, played by Marisol Nichol, because of her inside knowledge of the police department and her close ties to Zeke and his father. Jigsaw inspired many serial predators to carry sick games so it’s likely there can be a female Jigsaw killer in the future.
6 The New Killer’s Traps Tie More Into his Story Arc
Many filmgoers noticed that this new version of the Jigsaw killer did a better job of balancing the traps to go along with the plot. Some have noted that in previous Saw movies, such as Saw 3D for example, the gruesome traps were much more part the focus rather than the killer’s story arc.
The traps tie in better to the victim’s previous crime, such as Det. Fitch who has to rip his fingers off to avoid execution after he is shown footage of him killing an unarmed man.
5 The New Killer Brings More Of A Thriller Aspect Than A Horror Aspect
The new movie Spiral distinguished itself as different from other Saw movies as having a balance between thriller and horror. The new Jigsaw killer, despite sharing the brutality of the original killer, had more of a Keyser Soze vibe with the reveal at the end rather than the vibe of John Kramer.
This vibe has to do with the change in motive. This, of course, continues for the film itself, being more of a thriller reminiscent of Se7en even though the killer’s motive in that movie does mirror more of John Kramer’s.
4 The New Jigsaw Killer’s Willingness To Be Involved In The Game Ties to The Original
In case it was missed in a first viewing of the film, a key aspect to note about the new Jigsaw killer is that he involves himself in the game. The new killer is so involved that he actually becomes a cop to exact the revenge against corruption he so desperately seeks.
This is one of the few similarities that the copycat has with the first ruthless tormentor. While some fans felt blase about the twist, the involvement of the detective in the investigation of his own murders helped shake off suspicion for other fans.
3 The New Jigsaw Killer Could’ve Gone Up Against Det. David Tapp
While the killer was new, there was some speculation that characters from the old series could return to their previous roles. Chris Rock originally wanted Danny Glover to reprise his role as Det. David Tapp from the first film, with Rock playing glover’s son.
However, the screenwriters felt that it didn’t add up to their new vision of the film. While it would’ve been great to see a Danny Glover cameo, the Samuel L. Jackson portion of the film made the movie ten times better (as is the case with most Samuel L. Jackson’s movies).
2 The New Jigsaw Killer Had A Pig Mask Instead Of A Clown Mask
The clown mask with the red spirals on the cheekbones is synonymous with the Saw franchise. However, the copycat decided to take a different route and use a mask and puppet that better fit his goal.
The killer wears a pig mask as a sign that he is killing corrupt cops, seeing that the word “pig” has been used as a derogatory term for law enforcement. The mask is more appropriate for the type of killer he is and is a fresh take on the mask concept.
1 The Killer’s New Symbol, Te Red Spiral, May Inspire A Sequel
Emerson made it clear in the end that even though he wasn’t an apprentice of Jigsaw, and his purpose was different from his, he was still influenced by the villain of the first few films. The adoption of the red spiral symbol in Emerson’s eyes is a statement of evolution and change.
While a lot of times a flawed justice system can seem like a spiral of filtering out dirty cops, Emerson decides to use it as a way to say he’s breaking the chain. This is cause for fans to believe that the killer will inspire sequels as well. After the chaotic climax of the film, there will definitely be more of Jigsaw’s legacy to come.
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