The reboot of an aughts horror series known for going heavy on gore tops the DVD releases for the week of July 20.
“Spiral”: This latest entry in the “Saw” franchise features Chris Rock as a police detective investigating a grisly set of murders by a Jigsaw copycat killer. Also starring Samuel L. Jackson and Max Minghella.
“The original torture porn trend was a product of the political climate of the time, as the ‘War on Terror’ manifested ‘enhanced interrogation techniques,’ Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, CIA torture reports,” writes Tribune News Service critic Katie Walsh in her review. However, she noted, “‘Spiral’ exists in a very different cultural moment, and the filmmakers attempt to speak to it, with a killer using torture as a means of exerting bloody justice on corrupt cops. But they try too hard to avoid stepping on too many toes, resulting in a film that’s muddled and messy on many levels.”
Also new on DVD
“Dream Horse”: Based on a true story, this film stars Tony Collette as a Welsh village bartender who convinces her friends and neighbors to pool their money and buy a colt, thus entering the dizzying world of high-stakes horse racing.
“Jakob’s Wife”: After a chance encounter with “The Master,” a woman dissatisfied with her marriage to a small-town minister discovers a new sense of boldness. As she does so, however, the body count mounts in this horror flick.
“Die In A Gunfight”: A modern update on “Romeo and Juliet” with a dash of “Succession” mixed in, this film features Diego Boneta and Alexandra Daddario as star-crossed lovers from powerful rival families in present-day New York City.
“Feral State”: A grifter uses his charisma to attract a gang of followers made up of runaway and orphaned children. Before long, they are wreaking havoc on the swamps and trailer parks of Florida.
“Gangs of London: Season 1”: The murder of London’s most powerful crime boss sets off a violent struggle to fill the underworld void in this British TV drama.
“Initiation”: A university’s pledge week takes a sinister turn when a star athlete is murdered, setting off a spree of social media slayings that drives a group of students to discover the school’s dark secrets.
“Shameless: The Eleventh and Final Season”: The Showtime favorite, set on Chicago’s South Side, calls it quits after a decade, but not before one last ride with William H. Macy and the Gallagher crew.
“Star Trek Discovery: Season Three”: After traveling through a wormhole in the season two finale, the crew must navigate a future far from the home they knew.
“The Spanish Princess”: This historical drama series from Starz follows the royal intrigues of Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of England’s Henry VIII.
“The Walking Dead: Season 10”: AMC’s hit show returns, with season 10 marking the final one battling zombies for Danai Gurira’s Michonne character.
“Rock Paper Scissors”: Two friends enter the world of underground rock, paper, scissors competitions in this coming-of-age comedy.
