HORROR MOVIE REVIEW: JIGSAW


7/10

The city morgue is flooded with new victims. A blood sample of a famous serial killer nicknamed Jigsaw is found under the fingernails of one of the corpses. While the law enforcement officers  are trying to cope with the idea that John Kramer came back from the dead, five people are fighting for their lives in one of the JIGSAW traps. Who is the new killer and who will survive?

If it’s Halloween it must be Saw. For seven years I had seen a Saw movie on the first day of its release, and this time wasn’t an exception. JIGSAW is the 8th instalment in the series that boasts extreme violence and promises a great final twist. The new chapter does not disappoint.

If you were hoping for a breath of fresh air for the franchise, JIGSAW will not deliver that for you, but it is a solid SAW movie the way some remember them. The gore is turned down a notch, and is shot with style. I personally believe that what you don’t see usually leaves a more lasting impression as one's imagination works overtime. 

As in many previous chapters before it, JIGSAW is a puzzle within a puzzle. One refers to the mystery of the five men involved in the JIGSAW game (this time it focuses on their whereabouts) and the second is the identity of the new JIGSAW killer. The film plays with the idea that John Kramer could have come back and goes quite far with  this premise, to say more would be to spoil the twist.

The final revelation is simple but elegant. It is not completely unexpected but trust me, even if you figure out part of the mystery, you will not get everything before the end.


The reliable score of Charles Clouser is a delight and will make great stand alone listening. Spierig Brothers had made a very wholesome SAW movie. It does not defy expectations but delivers on all fronts.

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