Saw IV (2007)

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.

Director:

Darren Lynn Bousman

Writers:

Patrick Melton (screenplay), Marcus Dunstan (screenplay)

Stars:

Tobin Bell, Scott Patterson, Louis Ferreira

2 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tobin Bell	...	Jigsaw / John Kramer
Costas Mandylor	...	Lt. Mark Hoffman
Scott Patterson	...	Agent Peter Strahm
Betsy Russell	...	Jill Tuck
Lyriq Bent	...	Lt. Daniel Rigg
Athena Karkanis	...	Agent Lindsey Perez
Louis Ferreira	...	Art Blank (as Justin Louis)
Simon Reynolds	...	Lamanna
Donnie Wahlberg	...	Eric Matthews
Angus Macfadyen	...	Jeff Denlon
Shawnee Smith	...	Amanda Young (archive footage)
Bahar Soomekh	...	Lynn Denlon
Dina Meyer	...	Detective Allison Kerry
Mike Realba	...	Detective Fisk
Marty Adams	...	Ivan Landsness

Storyline

Jigsaw and his apprentice Amanda are dead. Now, upon the news of Detective Kerry's murder, two seasoned FBI profilers, Agent Strahm and Agent Perez, arrive in the terrified community to assist the veteran Detective Hoffman in sifting through Jigsaw's latest grisly remains and piecing together the puzzle. However, when SWAT Commander Rigg is abducted and thrust into a game, the last officer untouched by Jigsaw has but ninety minutes to overcome a series of demented traps and save an old friend or face the deadly consequences.

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Plot Keywords:

serial rapist | ex wife | tied to a chair | bound and gagged | brutality | 

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Taglines:

If it's Halloween, it must be Saw

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Genres:

Crime | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture throughout, and for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the first "Saw" film written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, who would also write the next three entries in the series. When interviewed about the job, they learned that there was a "Saw Bible" with rules they should have followed; however, as they had never received it, they had planned out an entire series of "Saw" sequels from their own ideas. Fortunately, their pitch was well-received by the studio and they got the job.

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Goofs

When Rigg finds Jigsaw's last note for him in the desk drawer of the "FEEL WHAT I FEEL" room, it is first seen to have only one sentence: "Become the teacher and save a life." In a subsequent close-up, a second sentence appears: "Go back to where it all began."

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Quotes

[first lines]
Pathologist: Subject's name is John Kramer. 52 year old male; Caucasian. He's seen better days.

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Alternate Versions

There is an "Unrated Director's Cut" available (known as the "Extreme Edition" in other countries), which restores footage cut for the "R" rating.

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Mother's Day 2010 (2012)

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Soundtracks

I.V.
Written by Yoshiki
Performed by Yoshiki (as X Japan)

User Reviews

The ultimate in modern horror...

It's a rare occurrence, but get ready to see this more then once. Saw 4 plays more like a detective story lifted from a page of a who-dun-it novel. This time, we delve deeper into John's past, his ex-wife, and the real secrets about what made him Jigsaw. During his autopsy, it's reveled his stomach contains an audio tape. The tape warns that his work will continue.

It seems that die-hard fans don't wish to know about what's in the story, since I had to re-edit my comment so that none of the story would be revealed (except that which you see in the ads anyway). In my previous comment, I said nothing about the ending, yet just giving away some of the plot is enough of a no-no. I don't blame them, since this 4th outing has too many elements that make it easier to predict what's going to happen. Regardless, you'd have to be some kind of rare genius to figure out what will happen in the end.

The series has flowed like a smooth, well-oiled Rube Goldberg machine. It's the most complex of the bunch, in some ways, outdoing the previous ones. I repeat: it begs to be watched again. Just when you thought that the previous Saw Traps had done everything they can to a human body, this one has some clever ones of it's own (not as gruesome as Saw 3, though). The autopsy scene is set to the extreme; the MPAA stating that most viewers have now gotten used to seeing programs like CSI and other medical procedures, so they let this slide easier.

Deceptive, dark, very edgy and well written, the Saw series can easily end here. It's almost necessary to have watched the previous Saws, but can stand on it's own as one of the best of the chapters. Of course, it leaves it open for yet another in the series, which will be in production soon. I don't know when I will tire of the series, but honestly, I can't wait to see what other delicious traps they cook up next.

Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 October 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Saw IV

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$31,756,764, 28 October 2007

Gross USA:

$63,300,095

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$139,352,633

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twisted Pictures, Ontario Production Services Tax Credit (OPSTC), Canadian Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit (PSTC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 96 min (unrated director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS DTS (Dolby 5.1)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1