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Darren Lynn Bousman, Saw IV

by Chris Flippo
10/27/2007

You know how some singers keep coming out with number one hits even after they’re dead? Well, it turns out that ol’ Jigsaw is kind of like that. Sure, he may have departed our dimension, but the man is still finding new ways to torture junkies. You can call him a lot of things, but you can’t call him lazy.

The film opens with the news of Detective Kerry’s (Dina Myer) death. After a brief investigation by the FBI, many believe that Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) may have another apprentice. Obsessed with the new mystery, SWAT member Rigg (Lyriq Bent) becomes despondent, and his wife decides to leave him. Soon, Rigg is abducted and thrust into a game of his own. However, as you may have already guessed, things are not at they first appear.

So, is Saw IV better than its predecessors? Hard to say. If you liked the first three, you’ll probably like this one as well. However, if you’ve never cared about a Saw film before, then there is not really any reason to start now. I’ve always enjoyed these films on a technical level, but there seems to be something missing. Yeah, they’re slick and gross and even sort of fun, but I never cared about any of the characters. There should be a little bit of humanity in a horror film; you have to know something is at stake.

Part of this is because I’ve never really understood Jigsaw’s motivating logic. He tries to “help” his victims and to get them to save their own lives, but I’ve never bought it. So, I ask: Has Jigsaw, after four movies and countless victims, ever really helped anybody? I keep waiting for someone to make it out of one of his traps, go on, and start a family or win a Noble Prize, but it never happens. If nine out of every ten people die, how many people is he really “saving?” I think Mr. Jigsaw has some explaining to do.

I don’t understand why Rigg is involved in a game of his own. Jigsaw says he is becoming “obsessed” with finding his friends, and that he needs to learn a lesson about life and death. Wait a second... huh? Let me get this straight. Rigg is being punished for giving a damn about whether his friends live or die? Besides, is Jigsaw really the one to be teaching this lesson? If anything, ol’ Jiggy is obsessed.

And the ending... hmmm. I have to give the Saw guys some credit for ambition, but I needed a flow chart to figure it all out. The timeline weaves in and out of the previous movies, and it seems every character has a different motive (some of which aren’t even explained in the film). The end of the film confuses when it should’ve thrilled. You walk out looking forward to the Wikipedia synopsis so maybe you could learn what the hell happened.

The new film will probably thrill fans of the franchise. Serious horror buffs will probably be disappointed. If you’re looking for a scary movie for Halloween, your best bet is 30 Days of Night... or maybe The Gameplan. Now that’s a scary movie.

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