Though Kinda Strong, the Twist of 'Jigsaw' Is Predictable

I’m a fan of the Saw franchise.  The movies aren’t cinematic masterpieces, but I thought there was some degree of thoughtfulness and creativity involved with them – especially the first ones.  I enjoyed the outlandish traps, the unbelievable intricacies of the set-ups, Jigsaw’s Batman-esque competence in planning, and the generally well-sold twists.  As the result from these, I honestly found all seven installments to be entertaining thrillers when I got to see them, though the series did get somewhat convoluted and forgettable at its latter parts.

Jigsaw, the franchise’s eighth installment after a seven-year hiatus, sees a string of murders committed in the distinguished style of Jigsaw.  As more evidence pile up, law enforcement officials only become more baffled as it’s looking to be not the work of a copycat, but the real John Kramer a.k.a. Jigsaw himself.  But how can that be when he has been dead for over a decade?

And, yes, Tobin Bell, who plays John Kramer, is in this film!

Well, I was able to predict the twist of how Jigsaw is able to have a hand on these new murders.  It was just a matter of applying the Sherlock Holmes dictum “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”  And it’s somewhat similar to a particular Westworld twist, and that immediately came to mind when I was thinking of a possible explanation.  Nonetheless, the twist is kind of strong.

Other than the twist, the rest of the film is just fine at best.  It’s not groundbreaking or fresh enough to be a compelling case to revive the franchise’s annual release (though, considering its profits, it will probably be revived anyway).  It’s not something that will change whatever you think about the Saw franchise in the first place.  But for fans, it’s gonna be adequately pleasing.