When Jigsaw was first announced by the folks at Lionsgate, and Saw: The Final Chapter was no longer the swan song promised, horror fans were understandably worried that the series was about to go one step too far and, dare we say it, jump the shark. Now, with the film having finished up its theatrical run, it’s clear that there’s little to no gas left in the tank of this once beloved franchise.
True, Jigsaw wasn’t an awful movie, but it was made more for the hardcore fans than anyone else and those seemed to be the only people who really enjoyed it. Still, the studio isn’t giving up on the titular killer just yet and will be releasing the pic on Blu-ray next month. On January 9th, to be exact, when it’ll hit 4K Ultra HD and Blu-Ray Combo Pack, with a DVD release to follow on January 23rd.
In case you missed it, for the franchise’s eighth go-around, five subjects find themselves trapped in a barn under “Jigsaw’s” control. Wait – didn’t Jigsaw die in Saw III? We saw it! That’s the mystery morgue analyst Logan Nelson (Matt Passmore) and Detective Halloran (Callum Keith Rennie) are trying to uncover. How can a deceased graveyard icon be killing from the dead?
One by one *whoever’s* victims begin to drop, not before confessing tragic deeds from their past. Anna (Laura Vandervoort) the hysterical ex-mother, Ryan (Paul Braunstein) the pathological liar – the usual Saw lowlifes are sentenced to their gory Saw demises. That’s unless Nelson and his Kramer-obsessed assistant Eleanor (Hannah Emily Anderson) can stop the madness…
Though it has its moments, Jigsaw ultimately feels like a forced hodgepodge of previous franchise entries that never carves its own identity, making you question what prompted such an expected reboot these few years later. That being said, if you enjoyed the pic in theaters, we suggest picking it up on Blu-ray, as it’ll come with some pretty awesome special features, which can be seen below:
- Audio Commentary with Producers Mark Burg, Oren Koules, and Peter Block
- “I Speak for the Dead: The Legacy of Jigsaw” 7-Part Documentary
- “A New Game”
- “You Know His Name”
- “Survival of the Fittest”
- “Death by Design”
- “Blood Sacrifice”
- “The Source of Fear”
- “The Truth Will Set You Free”
- “The Choice is Yours: Exploring the Props” Featurette
Jigsaw hits Blu-ray on January 9th and if you’re hoping to pick it up, be sure to place your pre-order on Amazon here.
