Saw V (2008)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Phil H

  
  Well it looks like its gonna go on and on this franchise, yet more weird and wonderful traps of torture and death but some are getting slightly unimaginative these days. The plot twists n turns like a slippery eel and includes plenty of flashbacks referring to the previous flicks and… More
  Well it looks like its gonna go on and on this franchise, yet more weird and wonderful traps of torture and death but some are getting slightly unimaginative these days. The plot twists n turns like a slippery eel and includes plenty of flashbacks referring to the previous flicks and shows how 'Jigsaw' did stuff. Kinda interesting but to be honest I have forgotten what happened in all of the last 3 films (I only remember the first films plot line really) so this makes this fifth film hard to follow haha. Lets be honest here...the films thing is gruesome traps, thats why we are here, and to be honest (again) as said they are good but getting less visionary. The best being a really wincing blood letting test near the end for a woman and man and the final trap being REALLY nasty for the pursuing cop...but you don't see the whole sick outcome as the this is where the film ends very abruptly..shame. Not bad but getting atad too long in the tooth now, it should end.

• Brad W

  
  Saw 5 is better than Saw 4, but its still just another Saw film that dissapointed me. The story was ok, I enjoyed the detail on Hoffmans story in past films, and the story that follows the five victims, but it just felt hollow like now they aren't even trying. The cast is… More
  Saw 5 is better than Saw 4, but its still just another Saw film that dissapointed me. The story was ok, I enjoyed the detail on Hoffmans story in past films, and the story that follows the five victims, but it just felt hollow like now they aren't even trying. The cast is another cast from Saw, they are just paid to talk like they are smart and scream when being tortured. The gore is great, its one of the goriest in the entire series. This was not the best Saw film, but it was an improvement over the fourth film.

• Unknown H

  
  This movie just drags and drags, delivering very little. All we seem to be seeing is the other movies again and again, fragmented and foggy. Everything you think you knew about the other movies and their chronology is just being undone and not in a gritty, head mess kinda way but in a… More
  This movie just drags and drags, delivering very little. All we seem to be seeing is the other movies again and again, fragmented and foggy. Everything you think you knew about the other movies and their chronology is just being undone and not in a gritty, head mess kinda way but in a really frustrating "you should have left it how it was" kinda way. A complete mess of a movie with one star for the brand and the other for the acting, which was as always great, but great actors cannot make a terrible storyline good.

• Zach B

  
  After the abomination that was SAW IV, this film does redeem the previous film a bit. Getting a new director, this film does what, in my opinion, part IV should have done: build on the entire legacy of Jigsaw by showing us how his Disciples carry out the work that Jigsaw created… More
  After the abomination that was SAW IV, this film does redeem the previous film a bit. Getting a new director, this film does what, in my opinion, part IV should have done: build on the entire legacy of Jigsaw by showing us how his Disciples carry out the work that Jigsaw created while, at the same time, giving us some more background as to who the first victim is, what caused him to finally snap, and above all else, help us understand the logic behind him and his mad world. Now, the crew for this film is filled with what the other films had: a bunch of unknown actors (aside from Tobin Bell), a rather bad script (that is better then the previous film's), and a bit more of a budget. Now, my reaction to this film was something like a breath of fresh air after the previous abomination. Just, seeing the film and knowing that its would be moving on and not detailing another side of part III, this film gave me some relief. Even more with rather fast pacing and the entire subplot of Jigsaw. Now, lets get down to the details. For directing, we have David Hackl at the helm. He does okay in this film with direction and for keeping with the new way the film series has taken. And, what you may ask is the new way? Why, that is simple: forget the plot and just show us blood, guts, and gore while giving us back story on Jigsaw. Now, while I love hearing more of a story then a plot, I have to take into consideration that now the films do not have that at all. Beyond pitiful in my opinion. There should of been more. But, this is just the way it has taken. Now, for the traps, they are a tad bit more gruesome, but more original. This film has something of the same feel of part II in terms of the traps with having a group of people that must work together to get out. Now, I would rate this film higher is some of the parts to this trap were more realistic, but now there is nothing realistic in the series. With acting, while most of it sucks, the only half decent actor that would be in the next three films would be Costas Madylor. Now, he is not a good actor at all. Defiantly not. But, seeing as how the next few films surround him, I might as well talk about him and his character. For the most part, his character is just a brutal version of Amanda from the first three. With him taking over the legacy of Jigsaw, he does the one thing that he should of never done: bastardize it completely. But, I will get more to him some other time. Now, the script I kind of like due to the fact that, while as I said we get more information on Jigsaw, he start to see what happens when his followers decide to take the legacy into their own hands. So, for trying to reestablish a story into this saga of gruesome and torture, I will give them some credit. But, that credit is next to worthlessness. For the score, it is the same as the previous films. So, nothing really to talk about there. Overall, this film is better then part four, but no where near as good as the original trilogy.

• Bethany M

  
  It was gory and horrible. Exactly like all the other ones.

• Luke B

  
  I'm going to have to chart the Saw franchise down as a guilty pleasure of mine. Quite simply I think they are so consistent that it's amazing they have kept it going this long. I think the secret is in the pacing and the quality. Many horror sequels start to look camp and… More
  I'm going to have to chart the Saw franchise down as a guilty pleasure of mine. Quite simply I think they are so consistent that it's amazing they have kept it going this long. I think the secret is in the pacing and the quality. Many horror sequels start to look camp and cheesy. Saw has kept the stylised cinematography, the twists and time jumps. The acting is also very good. It's believable at least and one needs good actors when trying to convey fear and pain. It's fun watching the traps, thinking about what I'd do in such situations and so on. Now we have another apprentice for Jigsaw, and his attempts to frame an FBI agent for the crimes.The franchise is still going strong because it adds depth and continuous back story. Though not always a good thing here it proves to be a blessing. I wish I could hate, but it is the first film in a long time that made me forget about drinking my coffee, which is now cold. Sad me.

• Carlos M

  
  The series has definitely run out of gas, proving that killing Jigsaw in the third film was a big mistake. Most of what we see here is nothing else than a ridiculous rehash of the previous films, and the ending doesn't come close to the brilliance of those in the first two.

• KJ P

  
  The first saw film was great, 2 and 3 were good, 4 was a trainwreck of a film, and now SAW V comes along. It definitely tried very hard to save itself from the nasty film that Saw IV was, and it did succeed in making a sightly better film, but as always, it's dumb and gore… More
  The first saw film was great, 2 and 3 were good, 4 was a trainwreck of a film, and now SAW V comes along. It definitely tried very hard to save itself from the nasty film that Saw IV was, and it did succeed in making a sightly better film, but as always, it's dumb and gore filled. All it tries to do is scare you with the deaths, but truthfully, I don't think Saw fans will be scared anymore. This film was a very small step above the fourth, but thats really all I can say. I hated the 5 person trap set up in this film, because of the stupid survival of the fittest stuff, and they got rid of the best characters first. The story was much more interesting than the fourth film, but seriously, how many more flashback ideas can they really think of for a dead guy. It's not very realistic, I know that the films aren't either, but the story should be at least realistic. The story was fun here, but the backstory was stupid. A totally average addition, and the only reason I am continuing, is due to the fact that there was once again a cliffhanger. Will a better story finally come, and make a huge conclusion thats great? We will see soon!

• Everett J

  
  this wasn't just the worst Saw movie of the series, it's just an overall bad movie period. This is the Saw's series version of "Halloween 3." If you don't know what that means, then watch "Halloween 3:Season of the Witch"....it just… More
  this wasn't just the worst Saw movie of the series, it's just an overall bad movie period. This is the Saw's series version of "Halloween 3." If you don't know what that means, then watch "Halloween 3:Season of the Witch"....it just doesn't fit with the rest of them.

• Jason S

  
  This one was better than the last. It's basically a chase between a FBI agent and the disciple of Jigsaw. We learn the disciples origin and watch as his story unfolds through flashbacks from all the previous movies. It shows that this person has been involved since the… More
  This one was better than the last. It's basically a chase between a FBI agent and the disciple of Jigsaw. We learn the disciples origin and watch as his story unfolds through flashbacks from all the previous movies. It shows that this person has been involved since the beginning but has been in the shadows. I liked it due to the characters and the actors portraying them were good in the roles but the story was as predictable as the others. We know the beats that are about to unfold and that takes a lot of the suspense away from the film.

• Conner R

  
  The great story of Hoffman, the coolest character in the series next to Jigsaw. Actually, in a lot of ways he's better than Jigsaw. His tomfoolery is even greater and he has more rage to fuel his deathtraps. Not only did he manage to set up manipulation schemes with his Teacher,… More
  The great story of Hoffman, the coolest character in the series next to Jigsaw. Actually, in a lot of ways he's better than Jigsaw. His tomfoolery is even greater and he has more rage to fuel his deathtraps. Not only did he manage to set up manipulation schemes with his Teacher, he managed to do so with the local police and FBI. He is a truly worthy Heir to the throne. This movie is really fun if you're a fan, it doesn't disappoint in any way.

• Robert C

  
  Come on people, let's be honest...these films stoped being "scary" after the second installment. And at no point was I expecting "Masterpiece Theater" from the franchise. So rather then trying to be snooty about it, just enjoy it for what it is. After… More
  Come on people, let's be honest...these films stoped being "scary" after the second installment. And at no point was I expecting "Masterpiece Theater" from the franchise. So rather then trying to be snooty about it, just enjoy it for what it is. After all, at this point it's all about how interesting / horific the "traps" are and the cringe factor involved with getting out of them. They made an admirable attempt in this one to create a "sideways" timeline of events that were supposedly taking place at the same time as those we witnessed in Saw 4. Is it fun and interesting? - Sure. Is it totally realistic and maticulously thought out? - Not so much. But this is the 5th installment in a HORROR FILM FRANCHISE! You're foolish to expect "completely innovative and totally shocking" at this point. In a nutshell: - if you didn't like saw 4 (or 1, 2 and 3 for that mattter)...don't bother seeing this. - if your expecting some sudden influx of an amazing / innovative storyline on this the 5th installment...don't bother seeing this. - if you are capable of suspending disbelief and find the (sometimes) gut wrenching "traps" and the gory escapes they induce worthy of a tense / creeped out viewing...then enjoy.

• Richard C

  
  it was okay. it wasn't bad but it wasn't great. it was entertaining when the group of people were going through the traps. the problem was that when the people went through a trap (which only last a couple minutes each) it would go to the side story with agent hoffman and… More
  it was okay. it wasn't bad but it wasn't great. it was entertaining when the group of people were going through the traps. the problem was that when the people went through a trap (which only last a couple minutes each) it would go to the side story with agent hoffman and focused on that way to much and that part of the story is boring and there aren't that many traps. after a little while it would go back to the characters going through the traps and it would get interesting again. during the last 20 minutes the movie really picked up and was entertaing on both stories as they came together so it had a good ending. overall it's okay. it has good moments and I liked the movie but not a lot. it's nothing special. C+

• Tony G

  
  Purposeless and aimless.

• Jeff "

  
  Saw V is a weaker film than the previous films in the series, my biggest complaint was the lack of good traps. Of all the films in the series, this is the film where the traps are lacking. Oh well, it had to happen sometimes, right? Besides that the film is still a terrific ride, and… More
  Saw V is a weaker film than the previous films in the series, my biggest complaint was the lack of good traps. Of all the films in the series, this is the film where the traps are lacking. Oh well, it had to happen sometimes, right? Besides that the film is still a terrific ride, and pretty awesome. Despite this complaint, Saw V does have everything you'd expect from a Saw film. Violence, blood and gore. I felt that the filmmakers could've put a bit more imagination into thinking up of more traps. But Saw V is one of the weaker ones, but despite this its still somewhat enjoyable and as a Saw fan, I did enjoy it, but its not one of my personal favorites. The sixth entry is way better than the fifth.

• Martin S

  
  This is the kind of movie that is a really good movie...but it's still fun to complain. So I'm gonna do just that....here we go. First of all: The goodguy and the badguy looks the same...so if you didn't see the previous movies the day before...it's takes a while… More
  This is the kind of movie that is a really good movie...but it's still fun to complain. So I'm gonna do just that....here we go. First of all: The goodguy and the badguy looks the same...so if you didn't see the previous movies the day before...it's takes a while to keep up with the story (and I wasn't alone on that). Now...let's talk about "the traps"...okay it's been 5 movies. It feels like we are coming up with some barely passable ideas. let's face the facts. There just so many ways you can kill a man (or woman). So here comes the 15 dollar question: Were....is.....Bill? (Jigsaw). If they decided to make so many movies...I believe (and this is just my personal opinion) maybe they killed jigsaw a little early....hey..nothing but respect for Hoffman...but when it comes to the cookie...he's just a chump in a suit. But let's cut the crap. It's a good movie...doesn't really keep the standard of its fellow movies. but hey...I still feel that Saw is the greatest movie series in modern time.

• Chris W

  
  Better than the previous entry, but still just an average thriller. I liked the group trap element reminiscent of part II, and the Jisaw flashbacks were cool, but the rest of it was hit and miss for me. I did like the twist with the group trap, even though it didn't seem totally… More
  Better than the previous entry, but still just an average thriller. I liked the group trap element reminiscent of part II, and the Jisaw flashbacks were cool, but the rest of it was hit and miss for me. I did like the twist with the group trap, even though it didn't seem totally surprising.

• Wahida K

  
  I hope this was the last part of Saw! I wonder why they dont make a Saw Series, I mean it would make more sense.

• Dean !

  
  I thought this was better than Saw 4 and one of the better ones overall. The fourth was a bit confusing with the timeline overlapping much of the third film, even two of the actors looked similar! This reveals even more going right back, although very briefly, from the first and… More
  I thought this was better than Saw 4 and one of the better ones overall. The fourth was a bit confusing with the timeline overlapping much of the third film, even two of the actors looked similar! This reveals even more going right back, although very briefly, from the first and through all the previous films to shed a bit more light on what happened and why. You really need to have seen the other films in order and maybe refresh your memory a bit before hand by watching the last one again before this. Not quite as grusome and gory overall as the previous films but still plenty for gore fans. Hope it isn't dragged out too much longer though!

• Cassandra M

  
  In what is only the fifth film of the Saw series released over its five year Halloween run at the box office, this latest installation suffers from the same detrimental qualities that made number four slightly disappointing for fans and casual audiences alike. Making his directorial… More
  In what is only the fifth film of the Saw series released over its five year Halloween run at the box office, this latest installation suffers from the same detrimental qualities that made number four slightly disappointing for fans and casual audiences alike. Making his directorial debut here, all eyes are cast upon David Hackl to see if he can either bring something new, or at least keep the momentum going for the popular franchise. The good news for some is that Saw V feels natural and consistent to its recent predecessors helmed by Bousman, yet for many others this won't be something to get excited about. Insofar as the movie itself goes; this is mostly typical Saw material throughout, going through the motions almost. This of course will please those looking for a continuation of the previous instalments, but it will undoubtedly feel too stagnant and jaded to interest anyone else. Nevertheless, for his first feature film at the reins, Hackl proves he can live up to Bousman's style that has been engrained in the series thus far, creating yet another engaging and loyal sequel that will be sure to cater to those craving more twisted games. For many fans and casual watchers of the series, Saw figuratively died when lead character and focus for the film Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) eventually succumbed to his cancer in film number three. Yet just as instalment IV managed to incorporate the mastermind into its story, as does V in the same manner; through flashbacks. Playing a game of two sides and narratives that eventually collide, Saw V first and foremost continues on where we left from IV, detailing the continuation of Jigsaw's work through forensics expert Hoffman and how he eventually has to tie up all loose ends regarding the deaths of those in III and IV. This narrative, although a little tiresome in its approach of filling in every detail and hole in previous features, nevertheless provides as the real meat of the script. Characters are again rather shallow, and motives are less than clear, yet much of this goes out the window when Mr. Bell graces the screen with his presence. As he has proved time and time again, it is within the character of Jigsaw that Saw's real heart lays, and with plenty of reminiscing going on here in regards to numbers I-IV, there's enough material and characterisation work here to satisfy hardcore fans of the series. On the other side of the pitch however is a much less character/dialogue driven narrative which focuses solely on another unlucky five as they work their way through the latest of Jigsaws traps, this time set up by successor Hoffman. For those who attend screenings of the latest Saw movies only to watch people get their comeuppance through a series of bloody and grisly tests, then this will be where your thirst is quenched. Taking on a tone that is strikingly similar to instalment two, the challenges presented here are graphic and extremely cerebral, shot in the same berserk ways so far explored in the series (although, the blending scene segment style incorporated in IV is gone) which add to the movie's intense ability to draw you in. A consistently forceful element of the series, cinematographer David A. Armstrong here follows the movie's mantra of "don't fix what isn't broke", and the film's sense of coherency and embodiment of the script's themes works just as well here as it did in previous features. Sure enough, Saw wouldn't be Saw without its morally challenging undercurrent squirming underneath all the corpses and violence, and in this regard V does well to incorporate the same subtext. Of course as has been the case with all the sequels thus far, the message isn't quite as clear here as it was in the original, and the ideas always seem to be justifying the gore rather than the other -more appropriate- way around, but there's enough here to stop the whole ordeal boiling down to a silly slasher flick with no fibre to it at all. Needless to say there are many audiences out there who outwardly oppose everything the Saw series stands for, be it involving the gore, the message, or just the tacky horror-movie-sequel feel in general. Yet as I have been witness to many the genre has to offer so far this year I can safely say that while Saw V is by no means a masterpiece nor as significant as its first production, it still beats out most of the competition by quite some distance. In the end, the entire ordeal feels more like an add-on; a tid-bit of flavour designed to tie up the loose ends left dangling from all the other features, and in this respect V will feel a little underwhelming; even to rabid fans of the series. And yet, it's the fans that will make up most of Saw V's audience. I recommend V, but only to fans, and only because there's hope that VI (which the door is left wide open to here) might get the ball rolling again and begin to tell a new story. So by all means, if you can appreciate the series' unmatched ability to make you squirm, to have you question your moral code, and to fascinate you with its lurid, engrossing world made of cogs, puzzle pieces and of course, saws, then you can't go wrong here. Saw V is everything that fans of the series as a whole will want, but a lack of progression in narrative and its disregard for relevancy to anyone outside of its core audience inevitably cuts it short; not enough for anyone else, but fans should enjoy it for the most part.

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