Saw II
2005 · Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
Original language: English
- horror
The story
The chilling and relentless Jigsaw killer returns to terrorize the city once again. When a gruesome murder victim emerges with unmistakable traces of Jigsaw's sinister methods, Detective Eric Matthews is thrust into a high-stakes investigation. To his surprise, apprehending Jigsaw seems almost too easy, but what he doesn't realize is that being caught is merely another piece of Jigsaw's intricate puzzle.
What it’s like
Grimy, underlit rooms dominate Saw II: sickly yellow sodium light, rust-brown walls, and the grey-green cast of fluorescent corridors, shot with a restless handheld camera that jolts in close on hands, tools and wounds. The palette is drained and industrial, with flashes of hot red blood against the dull ground, and the sound design leans on metallic clanks, ticking clocks, and a pulsing, percussive score that thins out into dread during the traps. Its vibe is bleak, feverish and claustrophobic, the kind of sitting-on-the-edge-of-the-couch unease suited to a late night alone or a loud Friday with friends who like being scared. Pacing is brisk and jumpy, cutting between a captive group racing a clock and a detective closing in on the mastermind, with a rhythm built on reveals and reversals. Intensity is high: frequent graphic gore, bloody injuries, self-mutilation, cruelty and sustained torture scenes, with some profanity and drug use. Written for horror fans who enjoy puzzle-box twists, gruesome set pieces and grim, cynical endings rather than anything gentle.
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