“Jigsaw”: An Unconventional Mystery Film

Theatrical Release Poster

Lionsgate Films

Theatrical Release Poster

De'Arius Jefferson, Staff Writer

Acting: The acting in “Jigsaw” was great. Especially with Matt Passmore portraying the main protagonist as Logan Nelson, a medical examiner. This is something that should be remembered, because throughout the movie I learned to understand that there is always more than what is portrayed. The supporting cast members all had their own individual stories prior to the movie, and as the movie goes on you understand what links them all to one another. The performances of each individual actor created a sense of unpredictability throughout the entire movie. Each actor in the movie played their role with passion and understanding of how their character affected the film as a whole.

The main antagonist, John Kramer, commonly known as Jigsaw, was played by actor Tobin Bell. Tobin Bell brought a manipulative and cunning personality to an already horrifying character. Jigsaw is a character unlike the usual horror movie antagonist. Jigsaw does not have any magic powers or weapons, but he does feed off the fear of his victims and psychologically manipulates them into doing exactly what he wants. This correctly builds the plot of the film. Jigsaw himself is never seen, only heard. This aspect alone makes the movie all the more thrilling. And to top it off, Tobin Bell is the voice behind it all creating a sense of false security which is always used in favor of Jigsaw. All in all, great acting by Tobin Bell.

Plot: “Jigsaw” is the story of the “supposedly” late John Kramer and his revenge on those who do terrible things and aren’t punished for their wrongdoing. The main message shown throughout this movie was that actions have consequences. And consequences in this movie are usually unescapable. The cast itself did a great job of portraying this message in everything that was done right down to the end. They even went as far as to choose consequences for others despite their own wrongdoing. This aspect strengthens the plot and helps the audience to understand character development on a deeper level. The pace of the movie starts out slow and picks up as the film progresses, around the end of the film there is something new being revealed every ten minutes.

To add on to that, “Jigsaw” is actually a really good mystery movie because there is always an unpredictable moment. You will usually find yourself on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next, all the while hoping your favorite character isn’t killed because of a ridiculous choice. Jigsaw is a character that never gets old throughout the movie and never loses his frightening feature. Every time his voice is heard it becomes a known fact that his victims are in even more trouble than they were prior to his instructions. Michael and Peter Spierig did a great job in creating “Jigsaw”, this film, unlike the others in the sequel require no prior knowledge of the other movies to understand what is going on.

Overall: “Jigsaw” was great and I would definitely pay to see it again. This movie captures all aspects of a genuine mystery movie without the conventional characters. “Jigsaw” has done more than lived up to its name, but has exceeded the expectations of all of the “Saw” movies in the sequel. Michael and Peter Spierig did a great job and I can’t wait to see more movies from them in the future.