Peter Spierig |

A 15 days of Halloween mini review

Day 9

I’m predictably running a couple of days behind so I’m quite excited to do a mini review that might actually wind up being short.

Jigsaw (Spierig bros, 2017) is the 8th film in the Saw franchise and fits nicely into the series. It’s well put together and matches the tone, visuals, and editing style of its predecessors. Some might see that as generic but, looking around at some other big franchises that seem to change direction with the wind, I’m more than happy for a franchise to have such a high level of consistency.

Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) has been dead for ten years but all of a sudden bodies start turning up with signs of trauma, possibly from a Jigsaw copycat.

Pathologists Logan (Matt Passmore) and Eleanor (Hannah Emily Anderson) come under suspicion from Detective Halloran (Callum Keith Rennie) as Jigsaw usually has followers on the inside to help in his games, especially in the police department. They in turn suspect him.

Meanwhile, five players are trapped in a game; Anna, (Laura Vandervoort) Mitch, (Mandela Van Peebles) Ryan, (Paul Braunstein) Carly, (Brittany Allen) and an unknown who doesn’t wake up in time to survive the first test. The remaining 4 must work together and confess/pay penance to survive.

It’s clear, from the time between bodies turning up, that the game is likely to be over already so it is a case of if the players can use their own ingenuity to survive. Anna seems the most capable but also is the most secretive about her terrible sins.

So is Jigsaw back or is it a copycat/follower? Which member of the police force/pathology team is in on it all?

Jigsaw is just a fun movie. I knew who the ‘man/woman on the inside’ was from seeing the first look on their face but chasing all the red herrings away and back again was no less enjoyable.

It’s nice to see Tobin Bell back in his inevitable flashback scenes. Calling it Jigsaw rather then Saw VIII implies it is more of an origins tale than it perhaps is. Logan’s assistant Eleanor is a dark web fan of Jigsaw’s contraptions, recreating them as a hobby including one supposedly never before seen early work. So it feels like the film is actually more focused on his legacy and smoothing a transition towards Spiral. (Lynn Bousman, 2021)

I’ve been a big fan of Callum Keith Rennie since his Due South days when he had that 90s ‘sarcastic bad boy done good’ bit down so could have done with a bit more Det. Halloran. Can’t really fault Jigsaw other than that as, while the earth didn’t move, it’s just good fun. Overall, I think it makes a good addition for Saw fans.