Saw 5 (2008)

In “Saw 5”, the concept begins to feel old and it’s obvious how the writers are trying to find different ways to keep a backstory moving forward. In this film, that backstory focuses on how and why Detective Mark Hoffman became the second assistant to Jigsaw, and how Detective Hoffman attempts to cover his tracks from the persistent FBI Agent Strahm.

The first victim is a convicted murderer named Seth was released from prison due to a technicality. You learn later on that Seth killed Detective Hoffman’s sister and this was his act of revenge, posing as Jigsaw. John Kramer found out about this and that is how their relationship began. The “game” that Seth is meant to play is simple; if he can push hands into a vice and keep each one inside long enough for his hands to be crushed, then he’ll be released and escape the pendulum that is swing down towards him. But since Detective Hoffman wants revenge, the trap is rigged to not release Seth at all.

The second “game” we see involves Agent Strahm, still in the meat packing plant from the previous film. He doesn’t follow the instructions on the tape cassette he finds and he is quickly overcome by the pig costume. When he awakes, he finds that his head is trapped in a box that is filling up with water. He survives by taking a pen and punching a hole in his neck in order to breath. When the police and medics arrive, Detective Hoffman walks out with Lynn’s and Jeff’s daughter, looking like a hero. It’s all a part of his plan until he sees that Agent Strahm survived his game. Now Detective Hoffman has to figure out how to continue to cover his actions.

The next scene takes place in a lawyer’s office. The lawyer is instructed to give Jill Tuck, Jigsaw’s ex-wife, a film and a box. The contents are revealed later in the next film...

After receiving a promotion to Lt Detective, Hoffman finds a note in his office that reads “I know who you are”. He then goes to the hospital and finds Agent Strahm in Agent Perez’s room, whose bed is covered in blood. Agent Strahm continues to believe that Hoffman is connected to Jigsaw. After their argument, his boss Dan Erickson comes in and reassigns Agent Strahm from the Jigsaw case after the body count becomes intolerable.

The next scene sets up the main “game”, a series of tests for five strangers who all wake up with chains around their necks. They are all connected by their involvement in a building fire that killed eight innocent people. The series of tests are meant to be played by a team and not individuals, but since fear and survival instincts kick in, they don’t realize this until it’s down to just two people and the final tape suggests that they work together. This is perhaps my favorite series of tests, after the original. In the first “game”, they have to grab a key to unlock the chain before they are pulled back into place and decapitated by a blade. One key works for all of the locks but they each try to grab their own, making it so they are unable to each grab one. As the clock ticks down, a bottle full of shrapnel will explode and killing anyone still in the room.

The second “game” has the four survivors having to break various jars hung above their heads to find one of three keys to use to unlock a tunnel to hide in when this room’s nail bombs explode. Of course there is more than enough room for two people in a tunnel…

The third “game”, the players must connect five wires together to form a circuit to open the locked door before the bomb goes off. One of the women is about to attack the lone guy, but the other woman strikes down the first. They throw her body into the tub and electrocute her so they can escape. If only there were all still alive, they could have endured an annoying shock.

In the final game, the two have to cut themselves in order to fill a tub full of blood. Because there are only two people left, they are forced to bleed themselves practically dry. Only the woman lives.

The rest of the movie is full of flashbacks involving Detective Hoffman and John Kramer. It also shows Agent Strahm’s own investigation as he visits the previous crime scenes. Detective Hoffman takes advantage of this by framing Agent Strahm as the Jigsaw accomplice, which Agent Erickson comes to fully believe. Agent Strahm eventually finds another Jigsaw lair and finds another “game”. The tape cassette he finds tells him to climb inside a glass coffin, but he makes Detective Hoffman get in when they find each other. Unfortunately, the glass coffin is the escape; the walls in the room become triggered and close in together. Detective Hoffman watches as Agent Strahm is crushed to death.