The latest Saw clone is written by Joey Miller (making his feature debut) and directed by DW Medoff, known for I Will Never Leave You Alone and Pollen.
Jackie Earle Haley - The Host
Ella-Rae Smith - Anita
Jamie Flatters - James
David Angland - Matthew
Joelle Rae - Melissa
Summary
A bloodied man called Jake (Tom Claxton) is declared the winner by his masked captor.
To walk free, all he has to do is choose a present, but after pulling its string, a loaded shotgun blows his head off.
We hook up with Matthew, Anita and Melissa partying at James's summer house.
Unbeknownst to them, the Host has snuck inside and drugs the four douchebags.
They wake up disorientated inside a dingy warehouse, with necks chained to a wall.
Guess filmmakers were fans of Jigsaw (2017), as less buckets on heads and barn, set up is nigh on identical.
Let the games, sorry 'rounds' begin.
The cake tastes terrible
Ignoring despicable contestants (whose acting is dodgy to say the least), this was ironically more enjoyable than most of the Saw franchise.
Nervous, playful, hysterical and creepy - Haley gives a career best performance.
Games include Rock Paper Scissor Shoot, Admit It, Wildcard and Incision Decision, each with their own rules, revelations and consequences.
Although clearly touched up with CG, practical gore effects deserve props.
In flashback, we learn antagonist's real name is Barry Miller, and formerly hosted Wheel of Games.
Anita made a complaint against Barry for touching her shoulders, ruining his career and life.
So he's out for revenge, with the others just collateral damage.
But how he designed and built such complex mechanisms is never explained.
To be fair, John Kramer wasn't revealed to be a former architect and engineer until Saw IV (2007). Going further, profession was first mentioned by John to Cecelia in Saw X (2023), which is chronologically the third.
Ending leaves a satisfying taste, as Barry kills Collin Piper (Gerald Lepowski), after rapist admits to his crimes.
Nice one geezer.
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