Seven years have passed since the first 'Saw' film hit our screens, and last week, the latest installment in the saga premiered on 26th October. 'Jigsaw' came as a surprise, given the production team behind the films confirmed 'Saw VII' would be the final film in the saga. 'Jigsaw', the eighth film, therefore promised to be somewhat special. The first critical responses to the flick tell whether it lives up to our expectations.
Generally speaking, the reviews haven't been too positive, with sites such as Variety, The Wrap and Forbes all stating that the film is for hardcore 'Saw' fans, and that it has it's moments.
Kyle Tuner for The Wrap noted how, "there are a couple of impressive set pieces in "Jigsaw," but the traps seem fairly rudimentary, and it's up to the camera work to provide the needed jolts". Empire's Kim Newman came to a similar conclusion, "if you don't like Saw, this isn't going to change your mind - but it's skilful, satisfying schlock and respectful of its fanbase". The two critics awarded the film 65 and 60 respectively, which, despite being quite critical reviews, are still the highest scores 'Jigsaw' has received yet.
The Hollywood Reporter and Forbes weren't nearly as pleasant. Frank Scheck from THR mentioned how, "Jigsaw just seems rote and mechanical, with long stretches of its running time feeling like a police procedural or CSI spinoff". For Scott Mendelson of Forbes, the film is only really meant for 'Saw' fans and "is not the glorious start of a new chapter in the Saw franchise".
The critics have never been kind
'Jigsaw' has earned a score of 48 on Metacritic and only 39% of positive responses on Rotten Tomatoes. The results aren't exactly pleasing, but then again, 'Saw' never has done well with critics. The first 'Saw' film, directed by James Wan in 2004, became one of the most famous horror films of the 2000s. Despite this however, the film only earned 49% of positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
'Saw II' and 'Saw VI' gained 36% and 38% each in terms of positive responses, whilst the remaining films didn't even earn more than 20%. 'Saw VII 3D' rounds up the saga with only 9%.
