Jigsaw – 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray Movie Review

Police pursue a criminal in a high-speed chase which ends with a standoff. He says five more people will die and soon after, bodies start turning up. It seems the jigsaw killer, thought to be dead for 10 years, has captured five more victims. As they slowly progress through various grisly tests, they expose their past sins. Detectives close in on the truth but will it be too late to save anyone?

Honestly, I expected little from this film. I saw the last installment in the franchise, Saw 3D: The Final Chapter, and reviewed it back in 2010. It was the usual low-budget gore-fest with crappy special effects and gallons of fake blood. It was so over-the-top, I was bored. Plot? Forget about it.

So, when Jigsaw appeared on my screen, I was pleasantly surprised to see decent actors, an interesting whodunit, and gore that didn’t completely make me nauseous. In fact, the effects are super-realistic, but never quite cross the line of insanity.

The story is predictable but the setting is somewhat creative. Jigsaw’s variety of games and traps are certainly interesting. The victim’s behavior is completely self-centered, no surprise there. But the flashbacks will keep your attention. And the final plot twist is a nice bonus that I didn’t see coming. Make no mistake, this is adult fare. The gore and violence are intense. But for horror fans, Jigsaw provides an engaging bit of entertainment.

The image is nearly reference-quality even though it’s made from a 2K digital intermediate. My Ultra HD copy includes HDR in the form of both Dolby Vision and HDR10. I saw the latter spec on my JVC projector. Contrast is excellent with deep and detailed blacks. Highlights pop like only an HDR picture can. My only beef was color which looked a little unnatural at times, though it was beautifully saturated. Resolution was razor-sharp throughout.

The Dolby Atmos soundtrack is mixed at a high volume level like most and offers rich dynamics though it is a little weak in the surround channels. Bass effects are a bit too sparse as well. Dialog, while clear, sounds a bit boxed in and rarely reflects its environment properly. A little more ambience would have raised quality here.

There are nearly 90 minutes of extras, mostly taken up by a seven-part documentary that talks about the franchise which dates back to 2004. You also get audio commentary by the film’s three producers.