“JIGSAW” is the new name to a film that was nothing more than “Saw 8”. It didn’t take the franchise in new directions, or show much inspiration in creating a fresh story. It wasn’t a horrible movie, but it wasn’t a good one either. It was virtually the same as every other film in the franchise past the second one, and in the end is almost immediately forgettable.
I was interested in what this one would deliver after a string of lackluster showing in the franchise. However, not long into it I could see it was nothing new. It was the usual elaborate traps and forced moral contemplation for characters that you can care less about. The story didn’t generate much interest because it was a blatant routine of situational horror splashed with generic story progression in between, that created little to no intrigue.
The acting was serviceable at best. With a lack of development, you can’t connect with any of the characters so for me at least, I was just sitting there watching them get picked off one-by-one without feeling any genuine tension. The suspension of disbelief needed to buy into these fancy traps all working seamlessly like they did was too much, and for me was just chuckle-worthy.
The early films in the franchise had a grounded realism that made them great horror films, something this film lacked completely. If you love the franchise there is some fun here with admittedly creative killings. But to many the creativity in the killings, could easily be considered too much of an impossibility to generate any interest.
Grade: 45%
