It's Only a Podcast - A Horror Movie Review Show · Christian Estabrook and Ian Nichols

Overkill: Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)

·1 hr 26 min·1 clip

The popping sounds represent a ticking clock toward inevitable death.

Christian Esterbrook opens in mock-awards mode. He and Elle Willers trade Oscar jokes, praise Pedro Pascal, and riff on the strange noises she makes reacting to things, which gives the episode a playful, unruly start before the movie really takes over. When Spiral: From the Book of Saw comes up, they do not treat it like sacred text. Elle likes the new Jigsaw voice and calls it a little stinker in that automated, sassy way; Christian agrees it is whiny, high-pitched, and clearly meant as a John Kramer callout, even if it is not actually John Kramer. They also settle on the visual changes. Elle is into the new pig doll, Mr. Snuggles, while Christian says the new pig mask is ugly and less fun than the classic version from the earlier films. The comparison to Alex Ross Perry's voice comes up too, mostly as a joke for nobody but the director. From there the conversation keeps moving through the film's clues and traps. The fake Tiffany boxes become a running example of how Spiral uses little present-like gestures to carry clues through the story, and the hosts keep returning to whether that thread is part of what works about the movie. The episode stays loose enough to keep the banter alive without losing the point, so the criticism never turns into homework. By the close, they are still joking, still circling the movie's tone and texture, and still ending in the show’s usual mix of affection, nonsense, and just enough disgust to make the praise believable. The sign-off drifts into dogs, girls, and shitting before the usual goodbye.

As heard by us

A loose, funny Saw conversation that still lands on a clear opinion.

Spiral: From the Book of Saw gives Christian Esterbrook and Elle Willers a lot to play with, from Oscar jokes and Pedro Pascal thanks to the movie's automated new Jigsaw voice, Mr. Snuggles, and the uglier pig mask.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

For when you want a Spiral chat that swerves through jokes, detours, and a blunt horror opinion.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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