Somehow, after killing off the main antagonist and squeezing out what seemed like all the life of the Saw franchise, it’s once again back with its eighth installment, Jigsaw. I didn’t really have any expectations for this film, but I assumed that it would be gory and that they’d somehow bring the Jigsaw Killer back to life again even though every possible plot hole has been filled by the numerous sequels of the series.
I was right, and while the film itself wasn’t great, it made for one of the best in the franchise.
Jigsaw is directed by Michael and Peter Spierig and stars some relatively unknown actors with the exception of the Jigsaw Killer himself, Tobin Bell. The film features Matt Passmore (Come Back To Me) as Logan Nelson, a medical examiner who finds the victims of Jigsaw on his lab table, and Callum Keith Rennie (Memento) as Detective Halloran, a police detective with questionable tactics.
Matt Passmore as Logan Nelson, Lionsgate
Before seeing the film, I looked at the cast list and saw Tobin Bell playing the role of Jigsaw/John Kramer, and thought, “Isn’t he dead?” Well, yes. Kramer died in Saw 3 but the various sequels featured the killer posthumously devising games for the unfortunate victims, but Bell’s character is very well incorporated into the new rendition of Saw in a creative fashion, and the writers deserve major props for it. Bell gives truly great performances in every Saw movie, and I just wish that we could have seen more of him.
The gore is over the top, just like any of the films in the Saw franchise or in the “torture porn” genre, but this is what really makes a Saw film a Saw film. The movie’s entertainment value relies upon shocking visuals and frightening images to draw you in and make you gasp, which is an effective way of keeping the audience engaged and not letting any part of the film drag. Each “game” is like a race against time. Jigsaw is no different and captures your attention for the full 90 minutes. If you are a fan of gore-fests, then Jigsaw is a must-see for you.
However, like every Saw movie, we might get to know a little bit about why each victim has been placed in the game, but we never really know too much about them. It limits any attachment that we might have had to the characters and would have made their deaths that much more powerful. I also understand that movies like Jigsaw are short, and they can’t possibly hope to include a deep, thoughtful narrative for each victim, but, in the end, it’s not about the characters, it’s about if the film works as a part of the franchise.
The perplexing conundrum about the Saw series is that the films aren’t really that great by themselves, as the victims are always shallow and bland, the plots trivial and predictable, and not scary as a whole, but the saga has become sort of its own genre and has set its own standards, and it’s been able to do this almost implicitly. With that being said, Jigsaw offers the same formula that fans of the series know and love, and provides a decent amount of fan service and twist to keep the fans happy.
Jigsaw is not a good film, but it’s not supposed to be. Still, I enjoyed it, even though it wasn’t a work of art.
IS IT WORTH IT?
While not an overtly scary film, Jigsaw is one of the best in the series and offers the right amount of nostalgia and plot development to please fans of the saga. See it if you are into the genre, pass if not.
