Saw IV (Exclusive Mini Review Series)

Saw IV (Exclusive Series)

Initial release date: October 26, 2007

Studios: Lionsgate Twisted Pictures

Tagline: It’s A Trap

Plot: During the autopsy of serial killer Jigsaw, a cassette tape is discovered in his stomach in which he warns that his gory games will continue. Sure enough, SWAT Lt. Daniel Rigg is forced to follow a blood-drenched trail of torture, dismemberment and death in order to find two missing colleagues. A pair of FBI profilers follow Rigg, suspecting he might be Jigsaw’s accomplice, even as they unlock the puzzle of the killer’s origins, seen in gruesome flashbacks.

Cast

Tobin Bell - Jigsaw/John Kramer

Costas Madylor - Lt. Mark Hoffman

Scott Patterson - Agent Peter Strahm

Besty Russell - Jill Tuck

Lyriq Bent - Lt. Daniel Rigg

Athena Karkanis - Agent Lindsey Perez

Louis Ferreira - Art Blank

Mike Realba - Detective Fisk

Marty Adams - Ivan Landsness

Sarah Boylan - Brenda

Billy Otis - Cecil Adams

James Van Patten - Dr. Heffner/Coroner

Writer(s): Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunston (Piranha 3DD; Saw: The Final Chapter)

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman (Spiral)

Rated R for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture throughout, and for language (93 min)

Continuing on re-watching the ‘Saw’ series, I re-watched the fourth installment of the franchise tonight - ‘Saw IV.’

The opening of the fourth movie is probably the most memorable with an extremely realistic autopsy scene of the Jigsaw Killer. The movie offers lots of chilling moments and some very good twists. Some of the traps are really hard-core and can make you cringe a little.

This installment also dives a little more into John Kramer’s (aka Jigsaw) backstory. ‘Saw IV’ also shows that the franchise could easily continue after Jigsaw’s death if done right. The Jigsaw character is still seen throughout the movie, but obviously in flashbacks. In my opinion, this was the last decent ‘Saw’ movie (before ‘Spiral’) and the quality of the series started to decrease after the fourth movie.

*Slight Spoiler* One other awesome twist that the filmmakers came up with that was completely unexpected is having the events of this movie take place during the EXACT same time of the events of ‘Saw III.’

So, overall, ‘Saw IV’ is a worthy sequel in the franchise. Decent twists, some disturbing traps and a good time for horror fans!

Here are some interesting tidbits about ‘Saw IV’ (may contain spoilers):

• The seamless transitions between separate scenes in the movie weren’t created using digital VFX, but were done practically. For these transitions, the sets were built in such a way that two separate scenes could be filmed in one shot without interruption.

• Bousman was originally not interested in directing the fourth entry, but the producers persuaded him to read the script anyway. Bousman decided to take the directorial duties when a plot twist in the script took him completely by surprise, something he thought impossible after being involved in the ‘Saw’ series for 3 years.

• A coroner was on-set at all times for the autopsy scene. The autopsy scene was passed completely uncut by the MPAA.

• The autopsy scene at the start of the movie was originally supposed to take place at the end of ‘Saw III.’

• The timeline of this movie takes place during the events of ‘Saw III,’ so the two movies are overlapping right until the very end.