Jigsaw returns in latest installment to Saw franchise

Jigsaw continues horror legacy by sticking to its usual formula

Since 2004 the infamous Saw franchise became a Halloween tradition for many people, as every film was released in the month of October until it’s “final Chapter” in 2010.

Seven years later to no surprise, the saw franchise returns with “Jigsaw” to disgust a new generation just in time for Halloween.

“Jigsaw” is directed by brothers Peter and Michael Spierig, who’s previous films include “Daybreakers” and “Predestination”. The brothers attempt to make the repetitive franchise fresh and new again by bringing a new aesthetic to the series while still keeping to its roots. Did it work? No, not at all. Is it still extremely entertaining? Yes.

The story begins with the discovery of a corpse that bears the markings of the infamous serial killer John Kramer, known to the public as Jigsaw. It seems like an easy job for Detective Halloran (Callum Rennie) and forensic pathologist Logan nelson (Matt Passmore) except there is just one problem: Jigsaw has been dead for ten years.

Meanwhile, a new Jigsaw game has just begun as five strangers find themselves locked up in and abandoned. In order to survive they must face the infamous Jigsaw traps and also their own personal demons in classic and bloody saw fashion.

The police department is racing against the clock as more corpses from the current game start showing up. Is Jigsaw back from the dead, or is it a new killer this time following in his footsteps?

Will the detectives solve the crime in time? Is it basically the same movie we’ve seen seven times before?

To answer that last question, yes, it basically is the same movie we’ve seen before. It’s a Saw movie and that’s what the fans want, so that’s what they are going to get. However, there are some nice changes they did make to this film.

Jigsaw visually looks a lot nicer and sharper than the previous films. The effects are more realistic and the picture quality is overall much sharper and easier to look at. Although, still gory, the filmmakers toned down on the blood and guts and focused more on suspense and tension.

The best thing I can say about “Jigsaw” is that it’s fun and extremely entertaining. The film knows exactly what it is and although it does not even come close to reinventing itself, it still delivers interesting traps, and a shocking twist the viewer will not guess.

The acting and the script is pretty bad and even sometimes laughable, but this was the case with most of the other films in the franchise. The movie is ultimately pretty cheesy and very unbelievable, but this is ultimately why the twist is so entertaining and worth the price of admission alone.

Sadly, “Jigsaw” does nothing new with the franchise. The creators wasted their seven-year hiatus to make a movie that could have been a creative and re-inventive genre film. “Jigsaw,” like the other saw films, will remain to be one of those guilty pleasure movies that aren’t good, but extremely fun to watch.

Overall, Jigsaw is not a good movie, but it is one of the better films in the Saw franchise. People who do not like these films will definitely hate this movie, however fans of the series will find this movie enjoyable and fun. Nevertheless, “Jigsaw” is a great movie to see on Halloween for people feeling festive, but don’t want to freeze outside.