Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Following Jigsaw's grisly demise, Detective Mark Hoffman is commended as a hero, but Agent Strahm is suspicious, and delves into Hoffman's past. Meanwhile, another group of people are put through a series of gruesome tests.
Saw V is widely considered one of the weaker entries in the franchise. The plot splits awkwardly between Hoffman's backstory/the Strahm investigation and a new group of trap victims, and neither thread is particularly compelling. The acting is serviceable but unremarkable — Scott Patterson and Costas Mandylor do little to elevate the material. Cinematography maintains the grimy, desaturated aesthetic of the series competently but adds nothing new visually. Novelty is low — by the fifth entry the formula is well-worn, the traps feel recycled, and the storytelling tricks (flashback reveals, twist ending) are now expected franchise conventions rather than surprises. The ending, while attempting a shocking confrontation, lands as telegraphed and unsatisfying, lacking the impact of earlier installments.