Saw VI (2009)
(On Cable TV, October 2019) I have enough basic problems with the Saw series that I’m not going to pretend that I love it … but I’ve been vocal enough in my appreciation of its movies that I can’t pretend not to like it even a little bit. What’s appealing about the Saw series isn’t as much its gory torture sequence or botched morality, but the blend of twisted chronology, well-executed industrial trash aesthetics, and the crazy use of editing and soundtrack whenever the movie shift in high gear and doesn’t want you to pay attention to the details. I’d somehow skipped Saw VI when it came out (although I still remember joking that the title of the film, when pronounced in French as “Saw Six,” sounds like “saucisse”—meaning sausage) and it was time to six the oversight. Don’t worry if you’re coming in late: this sixth entry quickly recaps much for the series as it brings together a reunion of nearly all of the surviving characters—and a few dead ones as well. I’m singularly uninterested in discussing the various traps/kills of the film, especially when there’s more fascinating material in how the film turns political as it draws explicit inspiration from the US health insurance system, and even takes a few moments to explain its insanity. (Reminder: The film, like most of the series, was filmed in Toronto.) In doing so, and flash-backing so often that there’s nearly enough material for a drama-based prequel movie, it moves even closer to making Jigsaw a folk hero taking on the system. The chronology of the film isn’t as twisted as the previous ones, but it’s not simplistic either: In addition to the numerous flashbacks, there’s also a parallel plotline about the Jigsaw successor being investigated (leading to a rare non-trap death sequence) and getting a comeuppance slight enough to allow for a sequel. For a sixth instalment, that’s not too bad—the social content alone is enough to make the film relatively watchable even if you haven’t been paying attention to the series so far … and if you can stomach the gore. Still, no amount of plotting games and social content can disguise the fact that Saw VI is still meant to be a gory horror movie in the first place.