Saw IV
Encyclopedia
Saw IV is a 2007 Canadian-American horror film and midquel to 2006's Saw III
. It was directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
and written by newcomers Patrick Melton
, Marcus Dunstan
and Thomas Fenton
. The film was released in North America
on October 26, 2007. The film's North American release date followed the series' tradition that the films be released the Friday before or on Halloween
of each year.
The film continues the story of the Jigsaw Killer
and his obsession with teaching people the "value of their own lives". Despite Jigsaw being killed in the last installment, the film still focuses on his ability to manipulate people into continuing his work of trapping people into his "games".
's (Tobin Bell
) autopsy, a wax-coated microcassette
is found in his stomach; it is given to Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor
), whom it informs that he too will be tested, and that the games will continue. Elsewhere, Trevor (Kevin Rushton) and Art (Justin Louis
) awaken chained at the neck to a winch
; Trevor's eyelids are sewn shut, as is Art's mouth, rendering communication impossible. When the winch activates, Trevor panics and attacks Art, who kills him in self-defense and takes a key from his collar to free himself.
Detective Kerry's (Dina Meyer
) body is found by police four days after her disappearance; after Hoffman cautions Lt. Rigg (Lyriq Bent
) for going through an unsecured door in order to reach her, he meets Peter Strahm (Scott Patterson
) and Lindsey Perez (Athena Karkanis
), two FBI agents who had previously been in contact with Kerry. They inform Hoffman that a second accomplice is involved in Kerry's murder, as Jigsaw and Amanda Young
(Shawnee Smith
) were both physically incapable of placing her in the trap. Strahm soon becomes suspicious of Rigg, who is convinced that Eric Matthews
(Donnie Wahlberg
) is still alive. Rigg is later attacked in his home, awakening to discover that Matthews is indeed alive, that he and Hoffman have ninety minutes to save themselves, and that Rigg must go through a series of tests to "discover what it truly means to save a life."
As Rigg progresses through his tests, he finds Brenda (Sarain Boylan), a female pimp
whose hair is attached to a winch that tears her scalp; Ivan Landsness (Marty Adams), a serial rapist whom Rigg forces into a trap where he must choose between blinding himself or being dismembered; and Rex and Morgan (Ron Lea and Janet Land), an abusive husband and his wife who are in a harness, impaled together with spikes. Morgan asks for his help in removing the last spike, but he tells her that she has to do it herself, and it is later revealed that she was able to. Meanwhile, Strahm and Perez investigate each test scene while also interrogating Jill Tuck
(Betsy Russell
), Jigsaw's ex-wife, and soon discover that they are also targets. They also discover that a lawyer named Art Blank, who had vanished two weeks previously, had successfully defended all three victims, as well as Jill. When Perez is hospitalized after an incident involving Jigsaw's puppet
, Strahm forces Jill to recount the rest of Jigsaw's background. She had been pregnant with a baby to be named Gideon, but miscarried after a drug addict named Cecil (Billy Otis) robbed her clinic, because he accidentally slammed a door into her stomach; this and John's subsequent depression ended their marriage. Upon surviving his suicide attempt, John began his work. He targeted Cecil first, placing him in a trap in which he had to push his face through a rack of knives to hit a switch and release himself. The trap collapsed and Cecil lunged at John, only to fall into a tangle of razor wire and die. Strahm connects Jill's story with the Gideon Meatpacking Plant, the location of Rigg's final test.
Strahm arrives shortly after Rigg but ends up trailing Jeff Denlon (Angus Macfadyen
), who is making his way to the sickroom of the plant. He finds Jeff in the sickroom moments after John dies and kills him in self-defense when Jeff mistakes him for his daughter's kidnapper. In another area of the plant, Rigg locates Matthews and Hoffman, who are monitored by Art; all three can be released by Art when the ninety minutes expire. Rigg, not knowing this, breaks into the room with one second left just as Matthews shoots him, and sets off the traps: two ice blocks swing down and crush Matthews' head, killing him, and the excess water flows toward Hoffman, who's strapped to a chair with electrodes at his feet. Rigg then kills Art, believing him responsible for the traps, and learns from Art's tape recorder that he has failed the test by interfering; Matthews would have lived if Rigg had not tried to save him. An unharmed Hoffman releases himself, revealed to be the second accomplice, severs the monitors' connection and leaves Rigg to die. He seals Strahm in the sickroom with the four corpses and leaves the area just as the scene cuts to Jigsaw's autopsy, which took place after the events of the film.
and Marcus Dunstan
. On a news article on the same rumor site, an actual writer was revealed, Thomas Fenton. There was also a hunt for the director of Saw IV before it was officially stated that Darren Lynn Bousman would direct the fourth installment, with creators and executive producers, James Wan
and Leigh Whannell
also returning. Two of the rumored directors were David Moreau and Xavier Palud. It has been stated that 90% of the crew from the last movie
will be back.
Production offices opened on February 12, 2007 to begin the pre-production period. On a budget of $10 million, principal photography
took from April 16, 2007 to May 3, 2007. The filming location was Toronto
, Ontario
, the same place both Saw II
and Saw III
were filmed. Post-production period began on May 19.
In an interview with Darren Lynn Bousman, he stated that the last work on Saw IV would happen in August to be able to have prints made. At Comic Con 2007 it was revealed by Bousman and producer Mark Burg
that the MPAA had given the film an NC-17 rating. They would have to figure out whether or not to cut the film to achieve an R rating or release it as an NC-17 film. (It was cut)
Lionsgate held its fourth annual "Give Til It Hurts" blood drive
for the Red Cross.
reports that 18 percent of critics gave the film a positive review, based upon a sample of 67, with an average score of 3.7 out of 10. On Metacritic
, the film has an average score of 36 out of 100, based on 16 reviews. Scott Schueller from the Los Angeles Times
called it "a film as edgy as a rubber knife" and said that "if the terrible craft of Bousman's film doesn't turn your stomach, the borderline pornographic violence will. It's disconcerting to imagine anyone enjoying the vile filth splashing the screen." Frank Scheck from The Hollywood Reporter
said "the famously inventive torture sequences here seem depleted of imagination", but added that "it hasn't yet jumped the shark
like such predecessors as the Nightmare on Elm Street
and Friday the 13th movies eventually did." Peter Hartlaub from The San Francisco Chronicle called it "the Syriana
of slasher films, so complicated and circuitous that your only hope of understanding everything is to eat lots of fish the night before and then watch each of the previous films, in order, right before you enter the theater." James Berardinelli
wrote that "Saw IV functions as a drawn-out, tedious epilogue to a series that began with an energetic bang three years ago with Saw, then progressively lost momentum, coherence, and intelligence with each successive annual installment. Saw IV is nothing short of a money-grab. Despite a couple of loose ends (that are tied up unsatisfactorily here), Saw III finished the story."
A less negative review came from Scott Weinberg from Fearnet, who said that while it "is almost certainly the weakest of the series where stuff like plot, logic, and chills are concerned... there's still more than enough here to keep the fans intrigued, entertained, and squirming in their seats" and added that the "Saw-makers are to be commended for actually putting forth this sort of effort. I grew up in an era that offered little more than quick-cash, stand-alone horror sequels like Halloween 5
and Friday the 13th Part 7
— so the fact that these producers actually give a damn about narrative continuity (right down to the smallest detail) is fairly impressive." Horror.com said that "with Saw IV, the pieces have all come together and [it's] the best of the lot." Jamie Russell from the BBC
called it "deeply unsettling; just like a horror movie should be." Chris Hewitt from St. Paul Pioneer Press
claimed that "Saw IV is a fluid film, as neatly constructed as the deadly puzzles Jigsaw creates to snare his victims." Film School Rejects said that "One of the things that is most intriguing to me about the Saw movies is how much I actually have enjoyed them" and claimed that "As far as fourth installments in a series, Saw IV is quite impressive." Linda Cook from Quad-City Times
gave it a positive review also and said "The twists and turns are deadly, the 'lessons' are taught once again, and we have the perfect setup for Saw V."
and Blu-ray. The "Extreme Edition", which was released in the UK only, before the release of Saw V
in October 2008 features a 95-minute running time of the film.
.
Saw III
Saw III is a 2006 Canadian-American horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman from a screenplay by Leigh Whannell and story by James Wan and Whannell. Wan and Whannell directed and wrote Saw and Bousman wrote and directed Saw II. It is the third film in the seven-part Saw film series and stars...
. It was directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
Darren Lynn Bousman
Darren Lynn Bousman is an American film director and screenwriter.-Personal life:Bousman was born in Overland Park, Kansas, the son of Nancy and Lynn Bousman. He is a graduate of the Film School at Full Sail University. He attended high school at Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park,...
and written by newcomers Patrick Melton
Patrick Melton
Patrick Melton is an American screenwriter.-Early life:Melton was born in Champaign, Illinois. He attended Evanston Township High School, and graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Studies...
, Marcus Dunstan
Marcus Dunstan
Marcus Dunstan is an American screenplay writer and director.-Life and career:Dunstan was born in Macomb, Illinois...
and Thomas Fenton
Thomas Fenton
Thomas Fenton is an American screenwriter and his writing credits include the screenplays for Saw IV.-Filmography:*Lady in White *Cheap Shots *Slaughter of the Innocents...
. The film was released in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on October 26, 2007. The film's North American release date followed the series' tradition that the films be released the Friday before or on Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
of each year.
The film continues the story of the Jigsaw Killer
Jigsaw Killer
John Kramer is a fictional character and the central character of the Saw franchise. Jigsaw made his debut as the primary antagonist in the first film of the series, Saw, and he's later portrayed as an antihero in Saw II, III, IV, V, VI and 3D...
and his obsession with teaching people the "value of their own lives". Despite Jigsaw being killed in the last installment, the film still focuses on his ability to manipulate people into continuing his work of trapping people into his "games".
Plot
During John KramerJigsaw Killer
John Kramer is a fictional character and the central character of the Saw franchise. Jigsaw made his debut as the primary antagonist in the first film of the series, Saw, and he's later portrayed as an antihero in Saw II, III, IV, V, VI and 3D...
's (Tobin Bell
Tobin Bell
Tobin Bell is an American film and television character actor. After years of work doing stand-ins and background work on films, he got his first major acting job in Mississippi Burning and went on to star in made-for-television films and guest star in television shows throughout the 1990s.Bell...
) autopsy, a wax-coated microcassette
Microcassette
A Microcassette is an audio storage medium introduced by Olympus in 1969. It uses the same width of magnetic tape as the Compact Cassette but in a much smaller container. By using thinner tape and half or a quarter the tape speed, microcassettes can offer comparable recording time to the compact...
is found in his stomach; it is given to Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor
Costas Mandylor
Costas Mandylor is a Greek Australian actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Kenny in Picket Fences, and for portraying Mark Hoffman in the Saw films.-Early life:...
), whom it informs that he too will be tested, and that the games will continue. Elsewhere, Trevor (Kevin Rushton) and Art (Justin Louis
Justin Louis
Luís Ferreira is a Portuguese-born Canadian actor...
) awaken chained at the neck to a winch
Winch
A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in or let out or otherwise adjust the "tension" of a rope or wire rope . In its simplest form it consists of a spool and attached hand crank. In larger forms, winches stand at the heart of machines as diverse as tow trucks, steam shovels and...
; Trevor's eyelids are sewn shut, as is Art's mouth, rendering communication impossible. When the winch activates, Trevor panics and attacks Art, who kills him in self-defense and takes a key from his collar to free himself.
Detective Kerry's (Dina Meyer
Dina Meyer
Dina Meyer is an American film and television actress, best known for her roles as Dizzy Flores in Starship Troopers and Detective Allison Kerry in the Saw films. She portrayed Mrs. Hong as a recurring guest star on ABC's Scoundrels.-Personal life:Meyer was born in Queens, New York...
) body is found by police four days after her disappearance; after Hoffman cautions Lt. Rigg (Lyriq Bent
Lyriq Bent
Lyriq Bent is a Canadian actor that is perhaps best known for portraying Lieutenant Daniel Rigg in Saw II, Saw III, and Saw IV.-Life and career:...
) for going through an unsecured door in order to reach her, he meets Peter Strahm (Scott Patterson
Scott Patterson (actor)
Scott Gordon Patterson is an American actor. He is known for his role as Luke Danes in Gilmore Girls and Agent Strahm in Saw IV, Saw V and Saw VI...
) and Lindsey Perez (Athena Karkanis
Athena Karkanis
Athena Irene Karkanis is a Canadian actress best-known for her role on The Best Years as fictitious Dominican-American actress Dawn Vargaz.-Filmography:*Chappelle's Show .... Caller...
), two FBI agents who had previously been in contact with Kerry. They inform Hoffman that a second accomplice is involved in Kerry's murder, as Jigsaw and Amanda Young
Amanda Young
Amanda Young is a fictional character in the Saw film series. She is portrayed by Shawnee Smith. At first a minor character in the original film, her role expanded in the sequels until she became one of the most important characters in the series, being the only character besides Jigsaw himself to...
(Shawnee Smith
Shawnee Smith
Shawnee Smith is an American film and television actress and singer. Smith is best known for her roles as Amanda Young in the Saw films and Linda in the CBS sitcom Becker....
) were both physically incapable of placing her in the trap. Strahm soon becomes suspicious of Rigg, who is convinced that Eric Matthews
Eric Matthews (Saw)
Eric Matthews is a fictional character from the Saw franchise, who first appeared in a fake documentary entitled, Full Disclosure Report: Piecing Together Jigsaw, featured on the Uncut Edition of the original film. He is the main protagonist of Saw II and a supporting character in both Saw III and...
(Donnie Wahlberg
Donnie Wahlberg
Donald Edward "Donnie" Wahlberg, Jr. is an American singer, actor and film producer. He is a member of the popular 1980s and 1990s boy band New Kids on the Block. His work background includes music, feature films, and television...
) is still alive. Rigg is later attacked in his home, awakening to discover that Matthews is indeed alive, that he and Hoffman have ninety minutes to save themselves, and that Rigg must go through a series of tests to "discover what it truly means to save a life."
As Rigg progresses through his tests, he finds Brenda (Sarain Boylan), a female pimp
Pimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
whose hair is attached to a winch that tears her scalp; Ivan Landsness (Marty Adams), a serial rapist whom Rigg forces into a trap where he must choose between blinding himself or being dismembered; and Rex and Morgan (Ron Lea and Janet Land), an abusive husband and his wife who are in a harness, impaled together with spikes. Morgan asks for his help in removing the last spike, but he tells her that she has to do it herself, and it is later revealed that she was able to. Meanwhile, Strahm and Perez investigate each test scene while also interrogating Jill Tuck
Jill Tuck
Jill Tuck is a fictional character in the Saw film series. She is the ex-wife of the series' main antagonist John Kramer, a.k.a. the Jigsaw Killer. She first appeared in the one-shot comic book Saw: Rebirth as John's ex-girlfriend, however her backstory and appearance were altered significantly in...
(Betsy Russell
Betsy Russell
Betsy Russell is an American actress who is best known for her role in Private School, and as Jill Tuck, the ex-wife of the Jigsaw Killer in the Saw film series.-Early life:...
), Jigsaw's ex-wife, and soon discover that they are also targets. They also discover that a lawyer named Art Blank, who had vanished two weeks previously, had successfully defended all three victims, as well as Jill. When Perez is hospitalized after an incident involving Jigsaw's puppet
Billy (Saw)
Billy is a puppet that has appeared in the Saw films. It was used by the series' primary antagonist John Kramer, a.k.a. Jigsaw, to communicate with his test subjects by delivering recorded messages, often appearing on a television screen or occasionally in person to describe the details of the...
, Strahm forces Jill to recount the rest of Jigsaw's background. She had been pregnant with a baby to be named Gideon, but miscarried after a drug addict named Cecil (Billy Otis) robbed her clinic, because he accidentally slammed a door into her stomach; this and John's subsequent depression ended their marriage. Upon surviving his suicide attempt, John began his work. He targeted Cecil first, placing him in a trap in which he had to push his face through a rack of knives to hit a switch and release himself. The trap collapsed and Cecil lunged at John, only to fall into a tangle of razor wire and die. Strahm connects Jill's story with the Gideon Meatpacking Plant, the location of Rigg's final test.
Strahm arrives shortly after Rigg but ends up trailing Jeff Denlon (Angus Macfadyen
Angus Macfadyen
Angus Macfadyen is a Scottish actor.Angus Macfadyen was born in Glasgow and was brought up partly in Africa, France, the Philippines and Singapore. His father was a doctor in the World Health Organisation. He was once engaged to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.Angus attended the University of...
), who is making his way to the sickroom of the plant. He finds Jeff in the sickroom moments after John dies and kills him in self-defense when Jeff mistakes him for his daughter's kidnapper. In another area of the plant, Rigg locates Matthews and Hoffman, who are monitored by Art; all three can be released by Art when the ninety minutes expire. Rigg, not knowing this, breaks into the room with one second left just as Matthews shoots him, and sets off the traps: two ice blocks swing down and crush Matthews' head, killing him, and the excess water flows toward Hoffman, who's strapped to a chair with electrodes at his feet. Rigg then kills Art, believing him responsible for the traps, and learns from Art's tape recorder that he has failed the test by interfering; Matthews would have lived if Rigg had not tried to save him. An unharmed Hoffman releases himself, revealed to be the second accomplice, severs the monitors' connection and leaves Rigg to die. He seals Strahm in the sickroom with the four corpses and leaves the area just as the scene cuts to Jigsaw's autopsy, which took place after the events of the film.
Production
There were rumors about who was writing the script for Saw IV, including Patrick MeltonPatrick Melton
Patrick Melton is an American screenwriter.-Early life:Melton was born in Champaign, Illinois. He attended Evanston Township High School, and graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Studies...
and Marcus Dunstan
Marcus Dunstan
Marcus Dunstan is an American screenplay writer and director.-Life and career:Dunstan was born in Macomb, Illinois...
. On a news article on the same rumor site, an actual writer was revealed, Thomas Fenton. There was also a hunt for the director of Saw IV before it was officially stated that Darren Lynn Bousman would direct the fourth installment, with creators and executive producers, James Wan
James Wan
James Wan is a Malaysian-born Australian producer, screenwriter, and film director of Chinese heritage. He is widely known for directing the horror film Saw and creating Billy the puppet. He also directed Dead Silence, Death Sentence and Insidious.-Life and career:Wan was born in Kuching, Sarawak,...
and Leigh Whannell
Leigh Whannell
Leigh Whannell is an Australian screenwriter, producer, and actor, best known for his work on the Saw franchise.-Life and career:...
also returning. Two of the rumored directors were David Moreau and Xavier Palud. It has been stated that 90% of the crew from the last movie
Saw III
Saw III is a 2006 Canadian-American horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman from a screenplay by Leigh Whannell and story by James Wan and Whannell. Wan and Whannell directed and wrote Saw and Bousman wrote and directed Saw II. It is the third film in the seven-part Saw film series and stars...
will be back.
Production offices opened on February 12, 2007 to begin the pre-production period. On a budget of $10 million, principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
took from April 16, 2007 to May 3, 2007. The filming location was Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, the same place both Saw II
Saw II
Saw II is a 2005 Canadian-American horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and co-written by Bousman and the first film's co-writer Leigh Whannell. It is a sequel to 2004's Saw and the second installment in the seven-part Saw film series...
and Saw III
Saw III
Saw III is a 2006 Canadian-American horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman from a screenplay by Leigh Whannell and story by James Wan and Whannell. Wan and Whannell directed and wrote Saw and Bousman wrote and directed Saw II. It is the third film in the seven-part Saw film series and stars...
were filmed. Post-production period began on May 19.
In an interview with Darren Lynn Bousman, he stated that the last work on Saw IV would happen in August to be able to have prints made. At Comic Con 2007 it was revealed by Bousman and producer Mark Burg
Mark Burg
Mark Burg is an American film producer and actor, perhaps best known for his work on the SAW series of films and on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men.-Career:...
that the MPAA had given the film an NC-17 rating. They would have to figure out whether or not to cut the film to achieve an R rating or release it as an NC-17 film. (It was cut)
Lionsgate held its fourth annual "Give Til It Hurts" blood drive
Blood donation
A blood donation occurs when a person voluntarily has blood drawn and used for transfusions or made into medications by a process called fractionation....
for the Red Cross.
Box office
The film grossed $63,300,095 in the United States and an additional $71,228,814 internationally, bringing the theatrical total to $134,528,909. It is Lionsgate's sixth highest-grossing film in the United States and Canada.Reviews
Critical reception to Saw IV was negative. Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 18 percent of critics gave the film a positive review, based upon a sample of 67, with an average score of 3.7 out of 10. On Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the film has an average score of 36 out of 100, based on 16 reviews. Scott Schueller from the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
called it "a film as edgy as a rubber knife" and said that "if the terrible craft of Bousman's film doesn't turn your stomach, the borderline pornographic violence will. It's disconcerting to imagine anyone enjoying the vile filth splashing the screen." Frank Scheck from The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
said "the famously inventive torture sequences here seem depleted of imagination", but added that "it hasn't yet jumped the shark
Jumping the shark
Jumping the shark is an idiom used to describe the moment in the evolution of a television show when it begins a decline in quality that is beyond recovery....
like such predecessors as the Nightmare on Elm Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street (franchise)
A Nightmare on Elm Street is an American horror franchise that consists of nine slasher films, a television show, novels, and comic books. The franchise began with the film series created by Wes Craven. The franchise is based on the fictional character Freddy Krueger, introduced in A Nightmare on...
and Friday the 13th movies eventually did." Peter Hartlaub from The San Francisco Chronicle called it "the Syriana
Syriana
Syriana is a 2005 geopolitical thriller film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, and executive produced by George Clooney, who also stars in the film with an ensemble cast. Gaghan's screenplay is loosely adapted from Robert Baer's memoir See No Evil...
of slasher films, so complicated and circuitous that your only hope of understanding everything is to eat lots of fish the night before and then watch each of the previous films, in order, right before you enter the theater." James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli is an American online film critic.-Personal life:Berardinelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and spent his early childhood in Morristown, New Jersey. At the age of nine years, he relocated to the township of Cherry Hill, New Jersey...
wrote that "Saw IV functions as a drawn-out, tedious epilogue to a series that began with an energetic bang three years ago with Saw, then progressively lost momentum, coherence, and intelligence with each successive annual installment. Saw IV is nothing short of a money-grab. Despite a couple of loose ends (that are tied up unsatisfactorily here), Saw III finished the story."
A less negative review came from Scott Weinberg from Fearnet, who said that while it "is almost certainly the weakest of the series where stuff like plot, logic, and chills are concerned... there's still more than enough here to keep the fans intrigued, entertained, and squirming in their seats" and added that the "Saw-makers are to be commended for actually putting forth this sort of effort. I grew up in an era that offered little more than quick-cash, stand-alone horror sequels like Halloween 5
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers is a 1989 American slasher film and the fifth installment in the Halloween film series. It was directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard and starred Donald Pleasence, who again portrayed Dr. Sam Loomis and Danielle Harris, who returned to play Jamie Lloyd...
and Friday the 13th Part 7
Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood
Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood is the seventh installment in the original Friday the 13th series, released in 1988. It also marked the first appearance of Kane Hodder in the role of Jason Voorhees.-Plot:...
— so the fact that these producers actually give a damn about narrative continuity (right down to the smallest detail) is fairly impressive." Horror.com said that "with Saw IV, the pieces have all come together and [it's] the best of the lot." Jamie Russell from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
called it "deeply unsettling; just like a horror movie should be." Chris Hewitt from St. Paul Pioneer Press
St. Paul Pioneer Press
The St. Paul Pioneer Press is a newspaper based in St. Paul, Minnesota, primarily serving the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Circulation is heaviest in the eastern metro region, including Ramsey, Dakota, and Washington counties, along with western Wisconsin, eastern Minnesota and Anoka County,...
claimed that "Saw IV is a fluid film, as neatly constructed as the deadly puzzles Jigsaw creates to snare his victims." Film School Rejects said that "One of the things that is most intriguing to me about the Saw movies is how much I actually have enjoyed them" and claimed that "As far as fourth installments in a series, Saw IV is quite impressive." Linda Cook from Quad-City Times
Quad-City Times
The Quad-City Times is a daily morning newspaper based in Davenport, Iowa, and circulated throughout the Quad Cities metropolitan area ....
gave it a positive review also and said "The twists and turns are deadly, the 'lessons' are taught once again, and we have the perfect setup for Saw V."
Awards
| Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Empire Awards Empire Awards An Empire Award is an accolade bestowed by Empire, Britain's biggest selling film magazine, to recognize excellence of professionals in the locale and global film industry. The awards are voted for by readers of the magazine and in an annual ceremony, the Empire Awards, the winners are presented... |
Best Horror | |
| Golden Trailer Awards Golden Trailer Awards The Golden Trailer Awards is an annual awards show that honors achievements in motion picture marketing, including film trailers, posters and television advertisements.- Overview :... |
Best Horror TV Spot | |
| Best Horror Poster | ||
| Best Teaser Poster | ||
| Best Thriller Poster | ||
| Best Thriller TV Spot | ||
Home media
The Unrated Director's Cut was released on January 22, 2008 in America and March 3, 2008 in the UK, on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray. The "Extreme Edition", which was released in the UK only, before the release of Saw V
Saw V
Saw V is a 2008 Canadian-American horror film directed by David Hackl and written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan and stars Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor and Scott Patterson...
in October 2008 features a 95-minute running time of the film.
Extreme Limited Edition
This edition was only released in the United Kingdom.- Exclusive automated spinning Saw with a sound clip packaging
- A copy of the Saw: Rebirth comic
- Two audio commentaries (One with director Darren Lynn Bousman and actor Lyriq Bent; the other featuring the producers.)
- Video Diary of Darren Lynn Bousman
- Traps of Saw IV
- Props of Saw IV
- "I.V.I.V."I.V." is a single released by X Japan on January 23, 2008 as a digital download. It is the band's first new song since "The Last Song" released in 1998. "I.V." is the main theme for the film Saw IV, which was released on October 26, 2007.- Overview :...
" by X JapanX Japanis a Japanese heavy metal band founded in 1982 by Yoshiki and Toshi. Originally named X , the group achieved their breakthrough success in 1989 with the release of their second album Blue Blood...
music video
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was released on October 23, 2007 by WEA/Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
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