*SPOILERS ALERT*
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of the Saw franchise. I have defended the new style of horror for years and always will. I understand the opposition to the so called “torture porn” style horror, however, everyone has their own taste and I don’t find the ’70s, 80s or even most of the 90s style horror to be all that entertaining, I do find Hostel, Saw, Feast, etc. entertaining. What can I say, I love seeing viscera. More importantly I love seeing other people’s reaction to it.
The Saw films are definitely no exception to making people squirm. From someone cutting their own leg off to someone drowning in pig guts, the Saw films always seem to top themselves when it comes to killing someone. Unfortunately, Saw V not only takes a step back but it looses all of the energy that Saw IV had.
I had wondered why there was little information flowing out of Lionsgate about Saw. Up until this year there had always been a trailer in August (excluding the first Saw as it wasn’t expected to be such a hit in the first place). I now understand why. Saw V just plain stinks. It is clear that the writers are trying to bridge Saw V and VI so that Detective Hoffman can take over as Jigsaw, however, I thought that’s what Saw IV was for? And in fact it did. If you look at Saw V, not a single trap was actually Hoffman’s, they were all John’s. John designed and set in motion Saw V’s traps. Hoffman didn’t even understand what the box was for until he was in it (from the look on his face anyway).
The trap for the five victims is interesting, I’ll give the creators that, however, it was poorly executed. The acting was both over the top in some places and below average in others. I also now understand why David Hackl isn’t directing Saw VI, he stinks at it. He’s been a second unit director for a while now (since Saw III), but I guess some people aren’t made to sit in the big boy’s chair. Bousman’s vision was well defined and stood out, Hackl’s doesn’t.
As Bloody Disgusting stated in their review, “SAW V looked like a made-for-TV movie that might air on the Sci-Fi Channel. It was dull, boring and even looked cheap. There’s literally someone holding or looking through a file in every single scene (outside of the traps) as if it’s they’re there just to add something to the empty space.”
While I disagree with the idea that it has become dull, I do agree that this film was boring. I had figured out the ending way before we even got their. There were some details I hadn’t thought of (the box with glass in it), but for the most part I knew it all. There was no twist, at least not a good one.
This film felt more like a M. Night film than a Saw film. Bad on the writers for even trying this. They could have show flashbacks of Strahm getting killed the way it was meant to be instead of having an entire film about him being framed.
I do agree with BD on one thing, it is amazing how long the Saw franchise has been able to it up. The team behind Saw has done a great job and I have loved every second of Saw, well, up until Saw V. I think it is high time they take a break and come back in a few years. They need the original writers back (Leigh Whannel and James Wan) and they need Bousman in the director’s chair. I know we won’t get all of that, but time off would certainly do them some good.
Saw = 9/10
Saw II = 8/10
Saw III = 7.5/10
Saw IV = 7.5/10
Saw V = 3/10
