Jigsaw’s Latest Game

Many loyal and passionate Saw fans have eagerly awaited the arrival of the newest addiction to the Saw franchise, Jigsaw. Released on Oct. 26 in select theaters, Jigsaw unveiled a new addition to the gore genre. After seven years of the supposed end to the franchise, directors Michael and Peter Spierig ended this hiatus.
Directed by Kevin Greutert, Saw VII was thought to be the last installment to the Saw movies because it tied up many of the loose ends that originated throughout the series. By 2010, Saw was dying in more ways than one. The audience became immune to the tasteless deaths and the allegiances to Jigsaw became too complicated to follow along. Ethan Kruse, senior said, “Complicated is an understatement for all the Saw movies. I feel like before I watch one I have to read a manual on everything that has happened before.”
Jigsaw, on the other hand, does not require the viewer to read a manual before watching it because it does not have any of the same characters from the last movies other than Jigsaw himself. According to Scott Mendelson of Forbes, “Jigsaw is another low point in a horror franchise that should have stayed dead after the surprisingly terrific Saw VI. Sure, it’s a kick hearing that theme music again, the picture quickly folds into just being another generic Saw film, but lacking the gritty texture and often goofy characters that have helped make this continuity-drenched franchise such a quirky kick. It even lacks the grotesquely offensive imagery and over-the-top action that made the otherwise awful Saw 3D vaguely watchable for fans. While it is a sequel to the prior seven pictures, it is stand-alone enough that you don’t need to have seen the prior installments.”

Michael Reyes of Cinema Blend rated Jigsaw 2.5 out 5 stars and agreed with Mendelson. He said, “Considering the long amount of time since the last installment, you’d think that more effort would have been put into creatively reviving the franchise.”
Starring Matt Passmore, Tobin Bell, Callum Keith Rennie, Hannah Emily Anderson, Cle Bennett, Laura Vandervoort, Paul Braunstein and Mandela Van Peebles this cast delivers their attempt at making a twisted movie watchable.
Tobin Bell reprises his role as the sociopath murderer John Kramer, who is also known as the Jigsaw killer because of the intricate games he places his victims in. Although Kramer died in the 3rd installment of the series, he is still seen throughout the series by a number of flashbacks that also explain the origins of his games. As seen in Saw II, Kramer’s backstory as a patient dying of cancer leaves him depressed and suicidal. After the death of his unborn son, Kramer attempts suicide by driving off of a cliff. When he survived the crash, a switch in the future Jigsaw killer’s mind went off and gave him a new appreciation of life. His intentions for his games are to grant his players the same appreciation for life he experienced, so he chooses people who he thinks do not value their own lives.