John Kramer is still dead. There’s a new kid in town.
Saw V revolves around that Jigsaw 2.0 character while giving us a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the traps and games from previous movies. Without much story propulsion or forward movement for the mythology, Saw V serves its purpose nonetheless. It’s a reflection point, looking at where the franchise has been and tentatively reaching towards the future.
After the events of Saw IV, Detective Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) has become a hero. Not only did he allegedly discover Jigsaw’s lair, Hoffman recovered a young victim (the daughter of the doomed Denlons, the test subjects in Saw III). He receives a promotion thanks to being in the right place at the right time. That’s Detective Lieutenant Mark Hoffman now, thank you very much.
In his pursuit of justice, Special Agent Peter Strahm (Scott Patterson) winds up in a trap he was never supposed to escape. His head is placed in a drowning machine, a glass box into which tubes pump water. Strahm survives by shoving a fountain pen into his throat, a self-performed tracheotomy. Although he is positive Hoffman is the new Jigsaw, Strahm’s commanding agent takes him off the case.
Spoiler: Strahm is right. Welcome to the Hoffman Era.
Hoffman has a game of his own in play. Through grainy black-and-white monitor screens, we see five people trapped in an undisclosed location. While the traps are different, the motivation is the same. These people must learn how they are connected and work together to win the game.
While Hoffman and Strahm circle around each other, Hoffman has another problem of his own. Hoffman has received an anonymous note claiming that someone knows who Hoffman really is. Could it be a psychological tactic by Strahm to draw Hoffman out? Or could it be the work of Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell), John Kramer’s ex-wife?
We understand, as much as possible, Kramer’s motivation for placing people into his traps. “Everyone deserves a chance,” Kramer (Tobin Bell) says. “Killing is distasteful to me.” Saw V asks a different question. How does one remove themselves from the personal trap of desiring revenge?
That’s not an easy task. Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith) had a difficult time with that very thing, and she was as close to Kramer as one could get. John Kramer and Amanda had a practically familial relationship, more like father and daughter than mentor and mentee. Their partnership forms the emotional basis for both Saw X and Saw III.
Hoffman is no familial substitute. He is a convert, an acolyte pressed into service. Moonlighting as Kramer’s proxy, Hoffman doesn’t seem to fully embrace the Jigsaw Program. Hoffman is following Kramer’s instructions to cover his own ass. Even when it becomes evident that Strahm is the subject of a different game, the lesson behind that test is awful thin.
Shaky morals, life-or-death situations, and a modern version of frontier justice have always been at the heart of the Saw films. Saw V undercuts those basic tenets by presenting lessons that feel tacked on, overlaid on a template in desperate need of a rework. Those cryptic, vague philosophical questions posed by Kramer and Hoffman are resolved in bloody fashion, but without the whirlwind emotional punch delivered in preceding Saw movies.
After moving at a frenetic pace for years, a film like Saw V was bound to happen. This is where the franchise takes a breather. People get folded, spindled, and mutilated, but we’re used to that by now. It’s calming, practically ambient at this point. There are multiple games and flashbacks galore, enough to make Saw V essential for the franchise completist to watch. Even so, it doesn’t feel like much happens in Saw V. Compare it to a wafer ice cream cone. All the really good stuff is piled on top, but you might as well eat the cone, too.
Saw V certainly isn’t a bad film, but it takes a different tack than the previous movies. It’s what they call in wrestling a “cool-down match.” Saw V allows the audience to relax and absorb the information needed to come back next time. Everyone gets caught up and we can move on to the next thing. If you’re lucky, that next thing is great.
Spoiler: it is.
