Between the events of 'Saw' and 'Saw II', a sick and desperate John Kramer travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer, only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. Armed with a newfound purpose, the infamous serial killer returns to his work, turning the tables on the con artists in his signature visceral way through devious, deranged, and ingenious traps.
- Released: 2023-10-25
- Runtime: 118 minutes
- Genre: Crime, Horror, Thrillers
- Stars: Tobin Bell, Renata Vaca, Paulette Hernández, Joshua Okamoto, Octavio Hinojosa Martínez, Shawnee Smith, Synnøve Macody Lund, Steven Brand, Michael Beach, Costas Mandylor, David Alfano, Donagh Gordon, Baltimore Beltrán
- Director: Kevin Greutert
Comments
- Tanya37180 - 1 July 2024
Hmm
There were aspects about this movie that I liked and really disliked. So here we go..
I liked seeing more of John Kramer and his relationship with Amanda.
I liked the idea of it being a bit different from the earlier Saw films in that it wasn't just a basic cop chasing the killer-type of plot. However, the pacing was quite off and felt boring most of the time and so, it didn't quite deliver. Even though at first I was intrigued by the backstory, in the end I thought it was unnecessary. Some villains or "villains" just don't need it.
I disliked how John and Amanda looked way too old for this to be happening between Saw and Saw II. It just didn't seem believable. Neither did some of the dialogue. In fact there was too much talking going on.
I disliked the traps. They were boring and didn't feel as complex or well thought out like in the previous films. Luckily some of them were actually connected to the victims wrongdoings (like Mateo being the "surgeon" and having to perform a sort of.. surgery on himself) but most of the traps felt random and not really connected to the victims.
I disliked the ending. The twist was of course expected. However Cecilia got off SO EASY and it really pissed me off. She deserved to be punished for everything she did but instead she just.. won, in a way. Also, Saw movies usually have more than one great twist and they keep the audience engaged because of it. This one did not, the twists didn't give any OMG reactions and didn't bring anything special to the table, they felt quite lazy to be honest.
Lastly, I disliked how John gave the money in its entirety to Carlos. A child. Who would do that?
All in all this didn't actually feel like a Saw movie and left me a little disappointed. Would I watch it again? As a part of a Saw marathon, probably. Other than that, no. - wellthatswhatithinkanyway - 23 May 2024
Apparently people like this stuff...
STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful
Set in between the first and second Saw films, John Kramer (Tobin Bell) is in a therapy group, trying to come to terms with his advanced cancer. He is tossed a line of hope, when he learns of an experimental medical procedure that he must travel to Mexico to have performed on him. In desperation, he goes ahead, only to discover the whole thing was a cruel con. He is left with only revenge, by enacting his notorious blood-thirsty torture killings on those responsible, but as events proceed, all may not be as it seems.
I can't think of any 'franchise' film series, such as the Fast and Furious or Mission: Impossible series, or horror entries such as Scream, or Marvel's Avengers films, which I think is just as well, since I can't imagine any film series becoming that successful without becoming saturated. Saw, the 2004 horror thriller, is one such example of this trend, with this latest entry taking us back roughly to the beginning with events between the first two films, serving as something to fill the void when there was absolutely nothing else on.
That such a series could become so popular is surely something of a reflection on society, with its main selling point being its numerous bloody, flinch inducing torture scenes, where the equally gross, repulsive death scenes must end up coming as something of a relief for the unfortunate subject. But what's most disconcerting is the eleventh hour switch, where Kramer becomes the hero figure against two of his captive subjects, throwing the moral dimension of the whole thing into disarray, given he's as guilty of crossing the line as they are.
Altogether, there've been nine of these films over a space of nearly twenty years. There's definitely a strange subsection of this generation walking amongst us that I really hope I don't run into. **
