I’m talking, of course, about theSawfranchise.
In all of these titles, one common element remains: The need for a twist ending sucker punch.
Thus, we’ve examined and ranked every singleSawtwist ending in the nine-film franchise.
Crank yourself some"Hello Zepp,“and let’s get a-twistin'.
Strahm smashes Hoffman into what’s clearly some kind of death coffin, thinking he has won.
It’s also hard to track who our protagonist is here I think it’s Hoffman?
Image via Lionsgate.
Saw III
One of the grimmestSawsequels (and that’s saying something!)
thuds to a close with one of the grimmest endings I’ve seen in any movie,Sawor not.
But as it turns out, Jeff and Lynn are actually married!
Image via Lionsgate
And then Jeff shoots Amanda in retaliation!
Who the heck cares?!
The power of film editing fooled us all into thinking they were concurrent.
Image via Lionsgate
Logan was rescued by John 10 years prior and added to his revolving list of acolytes.
Do something different, twist ending ofJigsaw!
It involves the lingering suspicion that Hoffman is, indeed, the new Jigsaw acolyte who’s still going.
Image via Lionsgate
Saw IV
A rare sight: ASawsequel where both the game-level and franchise-level twists hit hard!
Probably because they are foundationally intertwined, rather than separated by editorial and screenwriting decisions.
If he fails, Detectives Hoffman and Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg, also back fromSaw II) will die.
Image via Lionsgate.
Rigg can’t keep saving people, he needs to let them save themselves.
Unfortunately, Rigg’s obsession gets the best of him.
Rigg has failed; his desire to save has ironically killed.
Image via Lionsgate.
But as he listens to his final tape…
…Hoffman gets the hell up.
A very good set of twists for a surprisingly good late-entry franchise follow-up.
This was spurred by the brutal, childhood murder of William’s father by Zeke’s former partner.
Image via Lionsgate
The final actions of William reveal that these tests were not for the participants but Zeke himself.
Saw: The Final Chapter
Saw: The Final Chapterisa very stupid movie.Deliriously so.
And I kind of low-key/high-key love it.
Image via Lionsgate
Saw: The Final Chapter, blissfully, does this.
When this happened, I hooted and hollered like I was watching Justin Verlander pulling off a no-hitter.
It’s so audacious, so stupid, sonecessary.
Image via Lionsgate
I love this twist so much because of how little it cares about the rightful inclination to hate it.
Saw II
And now, theJigsawtwist done right!
But he can’t make the arrest just yet.
How can Matthews save his son from death?
John’s instructions are clear: Just sit down and talk to me.
He tries a bunch of loopholes to find the housewhiletalking to John, but they come up empty.
It works… for a moment.
Game over, Matthews, you beautiful victim of sneaky, right-in-front-of-our-faces-the-whole-time irony.
Saw
Speaking of “right in front of our faces the whole time!”
God, the feeling of euphoria that rushed through me during the twist ending ofSaw.
It’s so simple, so clean, so delirious.
Basically: The dead guy in the middle of the room was alive the whole time.
Instead… he finds another Jigsaw tape.
Zepp wasn’t the cause of this game, he was just another player!
Sawkicked its oft-complicated legacy off with about the easiest twist one can think of.
