The Saw movies were once synonymous with Halloween, coming out every October for years. While the franchise has been resting, it's now back, but is it back in top form? The reviews are in. Unfortunately, if you were looking for an iconic horror experience this Halloween, it doesn't look like Jigsaw is going to scratch that particular itch. If you're seriously in need of a Saw fix, however, the movie probably will do enough to satisfy the fans. Our own Michael Reyes gave Jigsaw 2.5 stars out of 5, and is about as divided on the film as that score implies...
The good news about Jigsaw is that it's not the worst film in the series, and it's actually half-way decent. The bad news? It's still a bit of a damned mess.
Mike's view seems to be the general consensus among film reviews, as there about as many positive reviews of Jigsaw as there are negative ones. The Hollywood Reporter was clearly expecting more from the return of the franchise. It had been dormant for so long, what exactly was the point in bringing it back if they weren't going to do more with it?
Considering the long amount of time since the last installment, you'd think that more effort would have been put into creatively reviving the franchise.
This idea was also echoed by Forbes, who may give Jigsaw its most scathing review so far.
Sure, it's a kick hearing that theme music again, the picture quickly folds into just being another generic Saw film, but lacking the gritty texture and often goofy characters that have helped make this continuity-drenched franchise such a quirky kick.
While there really are no glowing reviews of Jigsaw, there are several that seem to give it a grudging pass. Wizard thinks that the new film is better than any entry in the latter half of the franchise, which makes it worthy enough to check out.
[T]his is a capable enough Saw sequel, definitely better than parts 4, 5, and 7. It lacks the timely hook of part 6's health insurance hatred, but it goes through the typical paces with sufficient enthusiasm to keep it from being a write-off.
The Los Angeles Times also admits that fans excited for the return of the Saw franchise will probably enjoy what they get, though the review also suggests other ways to spend your Halloween.
Jigsaw isn't awful. It'll do the job for anyone who must see a Saw movie in theaters on Halloween weekend. But a trip to a real-world escape room --- or rewatching the original Saw --- might be a better use of time and money.
While the response to Jigsaw may not be what some were hoping for, it doesn't appear the film is entirely without merit. If the movie does well enough at the box office we could see a full-fledged revival of the franchise, and maybe a future film will be the return to form fans want to see.
