Saw VI (Exclusive Mini Review Series)

Saw VI (Exclusive Series)

Initial release date: October 23, 2009

Tagline: The Game Comes Full Circle

Plot: With Jigsaw still directing events from beyond the grave, Hoffman emerges as the heir to the killer’s twisted legacy. But as the FBI closes in, Hoffman sets in motion a game that is designed to reveal Jigsaw’s grand scheme.

Cast

Tobin Bell - Jigsaw/John

Costas Mandylor - Hoffman

Mark Rolston - Erickson

Betsy Russell - Jill

Shawnee Smith - Amanda

Peter Outerbridge - Willian

Athena Karkanis - Agent Perez

Samantha Lemole - Pamela Jenkins

Tanedra Howard - Simone

Marty Moreau - Eddie

Shawn Ahmed - Allen

George Newbern - Harold

Devon Bostick - Brent

Writers: Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunston (writers of Piranha 3DD)

Director: Kevin Greutert (Saw: The Final Chapter)

Rated R for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, and language (90 min)

‘Saw VI’ is definitely a vast improvement of the previous entry, but not by much. In this sequel, the main trap deals with the unethical CEO of a health insurance company.

Some of the traps that are featured are actually quite clever. And, a couple of them not so much. At this point of the franchise, it relies on way too many flashbacks to try to connect every single little thing.

There are a few parts of the sixth movie that can be a little tense. Even though some of this sequel could be a little bland, the final twenty minutes or so really makes up for it! The ending is sort of climatic and does what it can to resolve a few sub-plots - and leaves a couple open for the next movie.

Here are some interesting tidbits about ‘Saw VI:’

• The plan was to bring Dr. Gordon back in this installment. This didn’t materialize as Cary Elwes was unavailable.

• VH1’s reality show ‘Scream Queens’ winner Tanedra Howard won a role for this movie. She plays Simone.

• A week before filming began, director Kevin Greutert was informed that the movie would be post-converted to 3D. Greutert was upset at this decision as he hadn’t planned or storyboarded such a move. The idea was dropped for this installment due to time constraints but resurrected for the next movie.

• This is the lowest-grossing ‘Saw’ movie at the time. All of the other installments earned over $100 million at the worldwide box office (before COVID); this one only made $68 million. ‘Saw: The Final Chapter’ was originally intended to be released in two parts, but the disappointing box office performance of this movie led to the seventh movie being released as a single movie.

• Had the lowest opening weekend of any ‘Saw’ movie in the US prior to ‘Spiral’, only making $14 million.

• Soundly beaten at the box office by the first entry in another low-budget horror movie, ‘Paranormal Activity.’