JIGSAW (2017)

Directed By: Michael Spierig & Peter Spierig 
Written By: Josh Stolberg & Pete Goldfinger 
Cinematography By: Ben Nott 
Editor: Kevin Gruetert 

Cast: Matt Passmore, Callum Keith Rennie, Laura Vandervoort, Hannah Emily Anderson, Cle Bennett Tobin Bell, Mandela Van Peebles, Brittany Allen, Paul Braunstein 


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 over 10 years.

This is a reboot, but unfortunately it feels like another sequel as it seems to use the same tricks of the trades and twists. That already feel telegraphed as fans of the series have gotten so used to them they know what to look for by now. So that when. The film wants to shock it seems pretty basic. Even worse one of the hallmarks of the series has always been intricate games but always makes it seem like the challenges are not only revealing. Hit especially painful as they seem to consist of sharp objects that are More all around. Where as here in the finale the weapon of punishment seems more futuristic or made up.

The film was specifically written as a way to minimize on the torturous and extreme violence of the previous series installments, instead opting for in place of claustrophobia for gloss and style and for more enjoyable gore and elaborate trap death sequences.

What doesn’t feel familiar is the Spierig brothers directing the film and series. Their direction comes off making the film seem more slick which helps and hurts the slick direction world aesthetic wise but also makes it feel a dime a dozen and more slick less do it yourself which was the charm from the beginning.

The film chooses to play with timelines and red herrings. Which seems to happen more after the initial 6 films. Where as it seems to need this distraction instead of just focusing on the people stuck playing the game.

I can understand the need to try and keep it fresh which is hard after so many sequels. Unfortunately in keeping with the formula it doesn’t really add anything.

The players of the game seem to come to an end so quickly we never really get to know any of them so they come off less as characters and more like faceless bystanders for the most part. The most we get to learn about them are their crimes for being there.

As the film does come up with new traps and new ways to show graphic violence which seems to be the series bread and butter. As fans and audiences come to see the traps and ensuing violence it seems for the most part. As these movies don’t generally change their formula. In that way they are easy to follow and depend on.

As none of the characters or actors add anything to this particular sequel that make them compelling or memorable. Even the ones who don’t end up as victims.

This sequel tries to have a little more style and mystery, but as we have learned to always suspect all the information given at first already. We can smell the twists coming.

Plus In the end the characters who are punished come off not likeable they might deserve some punishment and torture. But not deserve the extreme punishment they get here at least not all of them. So the usual tradition of introducing us to characters and we are supposed to feel sorry for them as they seem to be our protagonists only to find out later the severity of their personal choices before that landed them In there in the first place works a few times before but by now we are used to it.

Out of the films really wanted to introduce new elements this would have been the place to start it out or at least spin off from the elements fans of the series already know.

The film was previously titled SAW: LEGACY, but that would have been too obvious to predict the ending


Grade: C+