Director: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
Writer: Pete Goldfinger, Josh Stolberg (Screenplay)
Starring: Matt Passmore, Tobin Bll, Callum Keith Rennie, Hannah Emily Anderson, Cle Bennett, Laura Vandervoort
Plot: Bodies are turning up around the city, each having met a uniquely gruesome demise. As the investigation proceeds, evidence points to one suspect: John Kramer, the man known as Jigsaw, who has been dead for ten years.
Tagline – His Legacy Becomes Yours
Runtime: 1 Hour 31 Minutes
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Terrible Forced Reboot
Story: Jigsaw starts as we follow Detective Halloran (Rennie) answering a call about a man who is planning on setting off a trigger, claiming it would start a game. When the game starts we follow five people trapped in Jigsaw’s latest game.
Outside the game Halloran and Detective Hunt (Bennett) work with coroners Logan Nelson (Passmore) and Eleanor (Anderson) helping investigate bodies that have been turning up which seem like Jigsaw has returned. We are left to figure out whether Jigsaw has returned or is it a copycat killer.
Thoughts on Jigsaw
Characters – Logan Nelson is a coroner that is also a war veteran, who has lost his wife too. He has worked with Hunt before and ends up trying to help solve the mystery about Jigsaw. John Kramer is the man behind the voice, but is he back, that is the mystery behind the film. Detective Halloran is a hot-headed cop that has a bad reputation but is now solving the mystery the best he can. Eleanor is the assistant to Logan, she has a twisted secret that makes her one of the suspects. Detective Hunt is the best dressed cop ever, who brings Logan into the investigation knowing he is a good man, he also must face the press when the stories break. These characters are the main suspects on who it could be, but we know Saw franchise it could be anyone in the frame of the movie.
Performances – The performances for the Saw movies are always the big question marks because they have declined over years, this time the players in the game are almost laughable. The detectives are solid enough and the coroners work, I feel like Cle Bennett is the star of the show.
Story – The story, well here we go, Jigsaw might be back but who is behind his versions of the new deaths? That is where the film is set-up. The brings the problems, John 100% can’t still be alive he had his throat slit in previous film. The film relies on the twists but it just don’t connect the way it should, we should have some connection to The Final Chapter as we have always had that in the franchise. This is a giant missed opportunity with one of the worst scripts I have seen in a Saw movie.
Horror/Mystery – The horror is all gore which is you want that works, the mystery is who could be the killer which is fine but pushes us too heavily in certain directions when we know a twist will come.
Settings – The settings also feel off for the franchise, I know it is meant to be a new look idea which is fine but having the city-wide look just feels like it isn’t connected again.
Special Effects – The special effects are the highlight of the film, with some great looking kills but we needed more from the story to enjoy these.
Scene of the Movie – Grinder.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – That twist.
Final Thoughts –This is easily the worst in the franchise, it misses all the marks, has a game that makes no sense because it relies too heavily on certain things happening, it also has a twist that will frustrate many fans and no feeling of connection to the previous film.
Overall: Just Game Over Please.
Rating
