Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Despite Jigsaw's death, and in order to save the lives of two of his colleagues, Lieutenant Rigg is forced to take part in a new game, which promises to test him to the limit.
Saw IV continues the franchise's increasingly convoluted timeline gimmickry, with a plot that strains credibility even by series standards. The twist ending showing the events occurring simultaneously with Saw III is clever enough to earn modest credit, but the labyrinthine narrative feels more exhausting than ingenious by this fourth installment. Acting is functional at best — Tobin Bell's posthumous presence via flashbacks remains a highlight but the newer cast members are serviceable rather than compelling. Cinematography maintains the franchise's grimy, desaturated aesthetic with competent trap staging, though nothing surpasses earlier entries. Novelty is low given this is a deeply formulaic sequel recycling the same trap-game structure with diminishing returns, despite the timeline conceit. The ending earns slight credit for its structural reveal even if execution is messy.