Untitled Saw Reboot (2020) Ending Explained
TL;DR:
The ending of Spiral: From the Book of Saw (often unofficially called the "Untitled Saw Reboot") reveals that Detective Zeke Banks' (Chris Rock) partner, William Schenk (Max Minghella), is the new Jigsaw copycat killer. Schenk, secretly the son of a corrupt cop Zeke once exposed, orchestrates a series of gruesome traps targeting dirty police officers to avenge his father's death. The film ends with Zeke trapped in a subway tunnel, forced to confront his own moral compromises, while Schenk escapes, leaving the door open for future sequels. The twist reframes the entire investigation as a personal vendetta against Zeke and the corrupt system he represents.
Detailed Explanation of the Ending
The climax of Spiral unfolds as Zeke realizes too late that his partner, William Schenk, has been manipulating him throughout the investigation. Schenk's motivations are rooted in his father's death years earlier-a corrupt officer whom Zeke had exposed, leading to his murder by fellow cops. Schenk adopts Jigsaw's methods but with a twist: he targets corrupt law enforcement, believing they deserve punishment for their crimes. The final trap involves Zeke's estranged father, Marcus (Samuel L. Jackson), who is killed after failing to confess his own corruption. Zeke survives but is left emotionally shattered, trapped in a subway car with Schenk's taunting voice echoing around him. The film ends ambiguously, with Schenk vanishing into the shadows, suggesting his crusade is far from over.
Unresolved Questions & Possible Answers
- Will Schenk continue his killings?
- Likely: The open-ended finale hints at a sequel where Schenk evolves into a full-fledged Jigsaw successor.
- Unlikely: The film might be a standalone critique of police corruption, with Schenk's fate left to interpretation.
- Did Zeke's father, Marcus, truly deserve his fate?
- Yes: Marcus admits to covering up crimes, aligning with Schenk's warped sense of justice.
- No: His love for Zeke and vague confession leave room for doubt about his culpability.
- Why didn't Schenk kill Zeke directly?
- Psychological torture: Schenk wanted Zeke to suffer guilt over his father's death and his own inaction.
- Future games: Zeke might be a pawn in a larger scheme for a sequel.
Themes & Symbolism
Spiral diverges from traditional Saw films by focusing less on gore and more on systemic corruption. The subway setting of the finale symbolizes Zeke's inescapable moral descent-literally trapped in a tunnel with no clear way out, mirroring his compromised integrity. Schenk's use of a puppet (instead of Jigsaw's iconic doll) represents a fractured legacy, suggesting his methods are a distorted echo of the original killer's philosophy. The film critiques blind loyalty to institutions, asking whether flawed systems deserve protection or destruction.
Personal Opinion
While Spiral lacks the labyrinthine twists of early Saw films, its social commentary gives it a fresh edge. Chris Rock's performance grounds the absurdity, and Minghella's villain is chillingly plausible. However, the ending feels rushed - Marcus' death lacks emotional weight, and Schenk's escape is more telegraphed than shocking. The film's biggest strength is its willingness to critique police brutality, but it undercuts itself by reveling in the same brutality it condemns. It's a flawed but fascinating entry in the franchise, leaving me torn between admiration for its ambition and frustration at its missed potential.
Legacy & Sequel Potential
The ending sets up Schenk as a new face of the Saw mythology, but whether he can carry the franchise remains unclear. His motives are personal, not ideological like Jigsaw's, which limits his appeal as a long-term antagonist. Future films could explore Zeke's transformation into a vigilante or introduce a rival copycat. Alternatively, the series might revert to Jigsaw's original games, leaving Spiral as a standalone experiment. Either way, the ending's ambiguity ensures debates will rage on-just as Jigsaw would have wanted.
Final Thought: Spiral's ending is a bold, if uneven, attempt to reinvent Saw for a new era. It sacrifices some of the franchise's trademark complexity for sharper social critique, leaving viewers with more questions than answers-and perhaps that's the point.