Saw IV – Movie Review
Sequel Puts the Pieces of Jigsaw’s Puzzle Together
Saw IV continues the story of the Jigsaw killer, aka John Kramer (Tobin Bell), filling in many of the blanks from the previous installments while adding more meat to this
Another Halloween, Another Saw sequel
The Saw movies have become a Halloween tradition of sorts. Since 2004, there has been a new installment in the Jigsaw puzzle on the last Friday of October. Each one has captivated and horrified audiences more than the last. After the third edition in 2006, with the death of Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) at the hands of Jeff Reinhart (Angus MacFadyean), many wondered where director Darren Lynn Bousman and writers James Wan and Leigh Whannell would take their audience next.
Saw IV Cuts to the Chase
The fourth Saw movie begins with Jigsaw on the autopsy table. However, after the coroner uncovers a tape in the dead man’s stomach, Detective Hoffman learns that “the games have just begun.”
Immediately, the viewer is taken on a road trip from hell, one that runs simultaneously against the plot in the previous film. No one is immune from Jigsaw’s wrath including the police, the FBI, former business partners and anyone who’s ever done anyone wrong.
Jigsaw Was Once a Victim Too
Throughout the story, the viewer gets a look at the life and times of John Kramer before he became Jigsaw. His ex-wife, Jill Tuck, portrayed beautifully by Betsy Russell, tells FBI Agents Stratham and Lopez, via flashback, about John’s fall from grace. He was once a loving husband, father-to-be and socially conscious businessman, building homes for low-income folks.
Then, a crazed drug addict attacks his wife, causing her to lose their unborn baby. The loss, coupled with Jigsaw’s illness, sends him over the edge. The audience learns his first kill was the man who took his baby’s life.
III & IV Collide
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Riggs (Lyriq Bent) is facing his own demons as he completes a series of tasks which demonstrate for him what Jigsaw sees, how Jigsaw feels and the way in which Jigsaw saves. These lead him to the factory where the bulk of the action in Saw III took place, at the same time it’s going on.
End Game
At the end of Saw IV, the body count is rather impressive. Among the deceased are Detective Eric Matthews, who was abducted at the end of the second installment and Jigsaw’s former business partner, Art Blanc. Jeff Reinhart joins his wife in death after being shot by the same FBI agent Jigsaw prophesied would ‘kill an innocent man.’
That FBI agent is then locked in a room with Jigsaw, the Reinhart family and Amanda Young, who also died in Saw III, by none other than Detective Hoffman. Jigsaw’s work will continue even after the man’s death, perpetrated by one who has sworn to ‘serve and protect.’
Why the Saw Films Work
Saw IV is a fantastic addition to the trilogy. It ushers in a bright future for the series while laying the past to rest. The series itself thrives at a time in human history when torture-horror is often maligned. The reason Saw stands a cut above the rest is due to its knowledge of both the genre and of society’s ills. It is not unfair to liken the Saw movies to a modern morality play. Jigsaw is judge, jury and executioner for a society that is tormented by terrorism, crime and injustice. It’s hard to feel bad for Jigsaw’s victims because most of them are the dregs of society, many of whom seem to deserve their punishment to some degree. It’s also difficult to hate Jigsaw entirely because he’s a man with flaws and problems, but he was loved and loved others. He tried to be good until wrong was done to him.
Conclusion
The issues the series raises are valid ones for society today even if they are presented in a horror-inspiring way. Each film has improved on the last. Saw IV is not the exception to this rule. Thankfully, the series is set for at least two more installments over the next few Halloweens. Obviously, Jigsaw and his apprentices have a lot more work to, and the movie-going public can only benefit from it.
