Jigsaw - DVD

Movie: The infamous Jigsaw Killer strikes again! But how can this be possible? After all, Jigsaw aka John Kramer (Tobin Bell) died ten years ago. Is it therefore a copycat? Or did Jigsaw somehow come back from the dead after all? While Detective Halloran (Callum Keith Rennie) searches for answers, a group of prisoners are desperately fighting for their lives. They've all been kidnapped and must now stand their ground against Jigsaw's diabolical traps. But one by one they fall victim to them, and the time Halloran has left to save these people is running out.

After a seven-year hiatus, the Saw franchise returns with what is now its eighth installment. Although the makers of Jigsaw have tried to not only give fans something familiar, but also inject the series with new impetus, this film only makes it clear once again that the format has simply worn thin over the course of the films. Part 1 was a properly tense and surprising thriller, but subsequent installments have only been about trying to outdo each other in terms of brutality. Part 8 now scales that back quite a bit and puts more emphasis on the story and its (not so) surprising twist again.

This is a commendable move by the makers, because as a thriller Jigsaw would work really well in itself - if only the script was a wee bit better. One of the strengths of Saw was that you felt for the investigators, but also for the prisoners. Here, the cop isn't really a sympathetic figure (which isn't unimportant for the course of the story, though) and the people who have to fight against Jigsaw's deadly traps are drawn so pale that the audience doesn't really care about them. It's here that the series could have used some fresh impetus.

Despite this, Jigsaw is far from the worst installment in the horror franchise. Directors Michael and Peter Spierig (Predestination) have directed a decent horror thriller that manages to entertain with some decent shock effects and suitable pacing. Sure, at some point even the last person should be aware of the big twist in the story, even before it is revealed in the film itself. But even if it doesn't come close to the effect Part 1 achieved with its twist, it still works quite well in the context of the series.

Thus, if you like the Saw films primarily for their brutality, you might be disappointed with Jigsaw. But if you want to see a thrilling and entertaining thriller around the legendary John Kramer and his deadly legacy, you will definitely get your money's worth. Worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: The technical realization of the film has turned out very atmospheric on the DVD. Even though there are some minor flaws to be found in the darker scenes in terms of detail, the colour scheme and the coherent contrast mix capture the gritty, grim underlying mood of the story very well. The purposefully used sound effects further emphasize this impression. They repeatedly provide pleasant dynamics on the surround channels in an overall quite powerful sound mix. All in all, this earns an absolutely deserved: good!

Extras: The bonus material has turned out really well. The centerpiece is the nearly 78 minute documentary on the legacy of Jigsaw, which is not only a making of, but also a bit of a retrospective. Absolutely worth watching for fans! In addition to the good documentary, the DVD also has a shorter featurette about the props (06:10 min.), as well as a very listenable audio commentary by the producers. The commentary often points out minor details that should be of interest to fans of the series in particular. Overall, a very neat bonus package!

Conclusion: Jigsaw may not be the best, but it's not the worst installment in the series either. The creators have tried to wring a few new sides out of the tried and true formula. This is not really surprising, but definitely entertaining and also a little exciting. The DVD presents the film in decent picture and sound quality and also offers extensive and worth seeing additional material. For this there is then also a deserved: Recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp