Can you believe that it has been seven years since Saw 3D: The Final Chapter was released? I took that as a promise that the studio was done with the franchise. Unfortunately, it seems that they weren’t. Jigsaw is a horror film directed by the Spierig brothers that stars Matt Passmore, Callum Keith Rennie, and Tobin Bell. The film picks up eleven years after the death of John Kramer, the eponymous Jigsaw killer. A police investigation into a new succession of murders that fit Jigsaw’s modus operandi leads one detective to uncover the truth.  Since Jigsaw has been dead since Saw III it wouldn’t be a spoiler to let you know that he only appears in the film during flashbacks. The modern Jigsaw killings are the work of a copycat killer who has a past connection to John Kramer. The film’s plot is rather easy to follow and doesn’t boast as much backstory to every character as previous films do. The acting in the film is fine, but no performance stands out as spectacular. The film could have been elevated more if the studio sprung for at least one top-billed actor or actress. The film feels less like the original Saw films and more like a copycat itself. The first few films had Jigsaw develop a set of rules for his games that have since gone ignored by his disciples. This hurts the film overall as it becomes less about the game and more about how many different ways we can watch people die. At this point, viewers are only watching Saw to see what new and inventive ways people can be killed. Also, the traps that are witnessed via flashback are way more advanced than Jigsaws traps in the original film.  This blurs the line between what was meant to be set in the present with what was set in the past. I was hoping this film would at least try and get back to the roots of Saw. The connections to John Kramer are forced and somewhat unbelievable. As a matter of fact, one connection was completely unnecessary. Also, there are many unbelievable things that happen in this film that would make you believe many of the police officers and forensic scientists are complete idiots. Considering Jigsaw doesn’t tie up any of the loose ends that were left at the end of Saw 3D: The Final Chapter, I’m sure that the studio is looking to start up a whole new series of films following the new killer, and tie up those loose ends in later films. I give Jigsaw a Normal 5.5/10.  The film doesn’t succeed as a horror or as a thriller. It would have been better if Jigsaw was a complete prequel. Hopefully, this is the final film in the Saw franchise, but most likely we will see more if Jigsaw performs modestly.