Saw V
Year: 2008
Directed by: David Heckl
Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor & Scott Patterson
Runtime: 92 mins
BBFC: 18
Published: 04/11/21
Directed by: David Heckl
Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor & Scott Patterson
Runtime: 92 mins
BBFC: 18
Published: 04/11/21
Saw IV was an unmitigated disaster in almost every respect, from the convoluted plot to the messy editing, it was all round a bad time and the worst Saw sequel up to that point. It was a transitionary film with some of the people who worked on the first three films returning for one final time, and some new talent joining to take the reins of the series from that point on. So, it’s safe to assume that Saw V is a total clusterfuck like its predecessor then? The answer is yes, but also no.
Following the climax of Saw IV, Agent Strahm (Scott Patterson) finds himself in a trap created by Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), the heir to Jigsaw’s legacy and sole survivor of the night of John Kramer’s (Tobin Bell) death. Outsmarting Hoffman, Strahm escapes but is simultaneously placed on leave from the FBI following the disastrous handling of the case and pending review. Strahm won’t take no for an answer though and digs through all the old Jigsaw cases to find any possible connection to Hoffman.
Meanwhile a new game is underway with five players needing to test their will to live in another of Jigsaw’s deadly games. Together they must complete the games and work out why they are there before time runs out.
Following the climax of Saw IV, Agent Strahm (Scott Patterson) finds himself in a trap created by Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), the heir to Jigsaw’s legacy and sole survivor of the night of John Kramer’s (Tobin Bell) death. Outsmarting Hoffman, Strahm escapes but is simultaneously placed on leave from the FBI following the disastrous handling of the case and pending review. Strahm won’t take no for an answer though and digs through all the old Jigsaw cases to find any possible connection to Hoffman.
Meanwhile a new game is underway with five players needing to test their will to live in another of Jigsaw’s deadly games. Together they must complete the games and work out why they are there before time runs out.
On the story front Saw V certainly makes strides to redeem itself from Saw IV. The whole thing plays out as a game of cat and mouse between Strahm and Hoffman, with the roles of cat and mouse frequently changing between the two men as they frantically close in on each other. The story behind those trapped in Jigsaw’s game is also interesting and ties in well enough with the previous Saw films to give them a sense of purpose within the world.
What holds the story back from greatness though is the number of things it sets up for Saw VI. There’s so much stuff that’s given long enough to feel important, but not long enough to contribute anything to this film that ultimately go without answer. Having seen Saw VI and VII already I know that these threads are resolved later down the line, but why dedicate so much of the runtime of V to these threads when they have nothing to do with the story being told in that film? It’s here where the Saw films begin to feel like episodes from a TV show rather than a film series, and where it begins to become hard to remember what happened in which film because none of them have clear beginnings or endings, and stuff keeps being brought up at times where it has no payoff until later, or we aren’t given context to what’s happening in one film until the next film explains it.
Saw IV’s sloppy filmmaking is what really broke the enjoyment of the last film for me as it felt like it was put together by people who’ve never actually watched a film before. It was so messy and often broke basic rules of filmmaking, making it intentionally difficult for audiences to keep track of what was happening, and when in time it happened.
Saw V fixes almost all of this by having a very clear place in time and playing out in a mostly chronological order. Add to this that the direction by David Heckl is much cleaner and focused than that of Bousman’s, allowing for the story and visuals to come together in a way that is much more interesting and considerably easier to digest than has been in any Saw film prior.
What holds the story back from greatness though is the number of things it sets up for Saw VI. There’s so much stuff that’s given long enough to feel important, but not long enough to contribute anything to this film that ultimately go without answer. Having seen Saw VI and VII already I know that these threads are resolved later down the line, but why dedicate so much of the runtime of V to these threads when they have nothing to do with the story being told in that film? It’s here where the Saw films begin to feel like episodes from a TV show rather than a film series, and where it begins to become hard to remember what happened in which film because none of them have clear beginnings or endings, and stuff keeps being brought up at times where it has no payoff until later, or we aren’t given context to what’s happening in one film until the next film explains it.
Saw IV’s sloppy filmmaking is what really broke the enjoyment of the last film for me as it felt like it was put together by people who’ve never actually watched a film before. It was so messy and often broke basic rules of filmmaking, making it intentionally difficult for audiences to keep track of what was happening, and when in time it happened.
Saw V fixes almost all of this by having a very clear place in time and playing out in a mostly chronological order. Add to this that the direction by David Heckl is much cleaner and focused than that of Bousman’s, allowing for the story and visuals to come together in a way that is much more interesting and considerably easier to digest than has been in any Saw film prior.
So, what sucks? Because I’ve basically just said that Saw V fixes everything, I didn’t like about the last few Darren Lynn Bousman directed films. The primary thing is that, for the most part, Saw V is kind of boring. Not a whole lot happens. Strahm spends most of the film trying to work out if Hoffman really is behind it all, but the audience already know he is, so it feels like wasted time. Agent Erickson (Mark Rolston) has no personality whatsoever and is generally oblivious to everything happening around him which just makes me angry. And then Hoffman’s backstory as to how he came to work with John Kramer is a little underwhelming and doesn’t really fit Jigsaw’s M.O for how he chooses the rest of his accomplices.
Whilst definitely better than Saw II and IV, Saw V struggles to keep itself interesting and spends too long setting up the events of the forthcoming sequels to ever feel like its own film. Whilst fans of the series are bound to get some enjoyment from Saw V due to it being one of the better sequels, I can’t recommend this to newcomers, and it doesn’t do a good job of selling the series to people who want to start from the beginning either.
Whilst definitely better than Saw II and IV, Saw V struggles to keep itself interesting and spends too long setting up the events of the forthcoming sequels to ever feel like its own film. Whilst fans of the series are bound to get some enjoyment from Saw V due to it being one of the better sequels, I can’t recommend this to newcomers, and it doesn’t do a good job of selling the series to people who want to start from the beginning either.