Saw V
David Hackl, 2008,
When Saw co-creator Leigh Whannell handed writing duties for the series over to Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan after Saw III, the duo envisioned a trilogy for the next three films, and Saw IV stormed out of the gate laying the groundwork and expanding the mythology. The expansion continues with Saw V, but first-time director David Hackl slows the pace, alternating focus between this episode’s cannon fodder and the origin story of the latest would-be heir to Jigsaw’s legacy. Watching Jigsaw show the ropes to yet another uninspiring trainee is no more stimulating than it was in the dreadful Saw III, nor is the fact that for the first time, his victims don’t seem to have any connection to the broader story (though I have little doubt they’ll be made retroactively relevant in a future installment).