Saw 3D
Director: Kevin Greutert
Writer: Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan
Sequel to: Saw, Saw II, Saw III, Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI
Cast: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Cary Elwes, Sean Patrick Flanery, Chad Donella, Gina Holden, Chester Bennington
Seen on: 29.9.2025

Content Note: misogyny

Plot:
As Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) escaped the trap last set for him, Jill (Betsy Russell) knows that she is now in danger and asks Detective Gibson (Chad Donella) for help. Meanwhile, Bobby (Sean Patrick Flanery) is getting lauded for his autobiography that contains the account of having survived Jigsaw and one of his traps.

Saw 3D would have been one of the stronger Saw movies if it hadn’t been for the relentless and obvious misogyny it throws at us all the time. It is rather astounding, but not in a good way.

My notes for this film start with „holy misogyny, Batman!“. It’s not like the films so far were feminist masterpieces, but starting with the first scene – a trap for throwaway characters, as is customary in the series – this film really goes too far. In the first scene, two guys have to either kill the woman they both dated or one man has to die. And not only is the woman completely cut out of any decision making process, it is generally such a sexist „bros before hoes“ scenario, it left me speechless. But that is not all. Bobby’s plot, too, revolves around making women die so he learns a lesson.

And finally, Jill’s plot – that features a completely unnecessary scene of her threatened by Hoffman while only wearing a flimsy nightgown – is the cherry on top as it shows that Jigsaw made every precaution to avenge her death, and none whatsoever to maybe keep her safe? What the fuck?

I did like seeing Cary Elwes again and will completely ignore that his character and the explanation how he comes to be there literally make no sense, thank you very much. Chester Bennington’s cameo was also really excellent, and who doesn’t like to see Nazis suffer? And, I actually liked Gibson as a character. Which did not bode well for him, but at least gave me somebody to root for here.

I have to say that I am glad that I didn’t have to watch this in 3D. Shot at the height of the „everything has to be 3D now so we can squeeze another extra couple of bucks from the ticket price“ era, I don’t think 3D would have added anything in the slightest to it. So, that is a yay for streaming, even if it is a nay for the sexist garbage the film gives us.

Summarizing: completionism sucks, but I am almost there.