It’s even gorier than its predecessor yet in terms of writing Saw III is vastly superior to the abysmally shallow Saw II. Pairing established characters with new ones, the film tells a story that weaves the continuities of the first two films and showcases John Kramer’s intention for all his victims past, present and future.

Doctor Lynn Denlon (Bahar Soomekh) is kidnapped by Jigsaw’s apprentice Amanda (Shawnee Smith) and is forced to care for John Kramer himself, keeping him alive until another prisoner (Angus MacFadyen) finishes his game.

The Characters

Frankly I thought the twist at the end of Saw II of Amanda being Jigsaw’s apprentice was a bit far-fetched. The fact that no one could’ve seen it coming is its only value. Saw III, however, takes the idea of Jigsaw recruiting Amanda after escaping his reverse bear trap and makes it work.

The film achieves this partly with a gazillion flashbacks bridging the events of the first two films but also by showing Amanda’s obsessive behaviour around John in the present. Amanda sees Doctor Lynn as nothing more than an obstacle to John’s well-being. Whether it’s lack of equipment or medication, Amanda dismisses the doctor’s reasons for not being able to treat John, demanding a solution from her.

The scenes around John’s deathbed are easily the best in the film. Lynn is mostly a surrogate for the audience but we still feel the stress and anxiety of her situation, Amanda is a character that sprung out of nowhere yet proves to be very plausible and John, even when bedridden, is still coordinating a master plan.

On the surface, what Angus McFadyen’s character endures isn’t that different from what Doctor Gordon or Detective Matthews faced in the last two. His name is Jeff and he’s another man who’s woken up in one of Jigsaw’s games. Sounds generic yet all the details regarding Jeff’s past and the nature of the game he navigates creates a plot that amazingly is just as compelling as Amanda and John’s.

We learn that Jeff lost a young son to a drunk driver, who got a light sentence for the crime, and has struggled to recover ever since. When he wakes up there are no traps attached to him. The traps are fused to those involved in his son’s injustice, from a witness who did nothing to the judge who sentenced the driver.

Jigsaw isn’t testing Jeff’s self-preservation; he is testing his morality and willingness to forgive. You wouldn’t think it would be possible but this threequel manages to take the pattern established in its two predecessors and re-contextualize it in a way that’s not only original but more involving. The scenes with the traps aren’t just disgusting, they’re challenging. You understand Jeff’s rage and anguish but at the same time, you don’t want him to just stand by and watch an innocent person die painfully.

The Horror

The traps are even grizzlier than those in the last film however unlike in Saw II, the death scenes evoke much broader emotions than disgust. This applies specifically to the deaths witnessed by Jeff, which he is able to prevent.

One of the best examples is when Jeff is confronted with the woman who witnessed his son’s death and refused to testify in court. She is naked in a meat freezer chained to a metal frame with nozzles that spray water on her. There’s no blood or real gore during her demise but the solidifying of her flesh along with her agonizing cries of pain makes it hard to watch.

The victim’s dying isn’t the only thing happening here. The story is advancing in Jeff. While we cringe at the victim’s pain, we watch Jeff with great anxiety, hoping he’ll intervene.

Like the first film Saw III surprisingly utilises suspense. There’s only a scene or two where it’s implemented but it shows that the film is trying to be something of substance and not just letting the gory traps do all the talking.

This film is a great return to form and totally makes up for the deficient Saw II. I hope that the series maintains this level of quality going forward but from what I recall, I don’t think that occurs. Maybe the series has reached its peak already. We’ll have to see.

I give Saw III a congratulatory 8 out of 10.