Horror Movie Review: Saw V

Once the ‘game’ portion of Saw V begins and five unwitting, morally gray contestants are forced to navigate a series of ever-less-clever death traps in order to survive a series of explosions* in order to escape captivity with an increased sense of moral rectitude enforced by way of limb loss and/or self-inflicted torture, the voice of Jigsaw intones that the ‘contestants’ should ignore their instincts in order to survive.

The balance of the film shows that their instincts involve acting like fucking idiots.

In fact, the entire plot of Saw V is predicated on the assumption that everyone in the film except for Jigsaw and his secret apprentice is a total moron, especially Agent Strahm, who seems canny for about a second when he escapes a trap at the beginning of the movie only to engage in a fumbling, Ahab-like quest that can only end badly.

Saw V fumbles a second time in that it’s the only entry in the series that is not an effective standalone film.  There are several elements, including the subplot with Jigsaw’s estranged wife, that are introduced and never go anywhere  - meaning that the payoff is basically teased for next year’s Saw VI.  As much as I appreciate the complexity of the series as a whole, there’s nothing like a delayed payoff to kill my buzz.

Strike three?  Completely ignoring the end of Saw IV.  We end with Jigsaw telling Hoffman that he’s about to be tested, and lo, this never happens.  See above about being forced to wait for Saw VI.

That said, I can’t hate that someone dies after shoving their arm through a band saw.  Or that this is the first movie in the series where the contestants are really up front about trying to kill one another without even a second thought.  The lack of cutthroat behavior between the victims in Saw II always rung a bit false.

I’m still interested in seeing how the series ends, so I’ll be back next year for Saw VI, but my expectations are going to be suitably low.  Saw V is nothing more than a gory placeholder that makes sure all the pieces are in place for the finale.

*My thoughts on using explosions as a horror device are amply on record in my review of Thr3e.  That Saw is now at this level is depressing.