Saw II continues the story of the Jigsaw Killer. This time, however, he has taken a liking to a local police officer, Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg), and begins playing his game with Matthews and his son Daniel (Eric Knudsen). Daniel, like many before him, finds himself in an unfamiliar place with a number of strangers. He, and the rest of these pawns in Jigsaw’s twisted game, must come together, find common ground and prove their worth to the notorious killer.
Just a year after the first installment of the Saw saga, writers Leigh Whannell and Darren Lynn Bousman introduced the next step in Jigsaw’s demented adventure. The film starts in a familiar place, with a person being terrorized by Jigsaw and being forced to make impossible decisions as he tries to save his own life. The story, like before, is perfectly paced as the writers and actors give audiences just a little bit at a time, never exposing too much, and never giving away the endgame. It is a twisted, dark, demented and horrifically beatiful story that keeps audiences guessing. The story warrants attention and demands that viewers ponder the many possible outcomes, because, like Jigsaw, the writers have thought of everything. Like any good work of art, there needs to be a hook, something that grabs audiences early and gives them a reason to stick around; Whannell and Bousman find the best possible way to do this. The two draw in their audience immediately and draw on their emotions as they begin rooting for the unknown man as his life begins to fade. Furthermore, the two writers introduce new characters and use a father and son to keep audiences connected to the story. More than before, the viewers are able to connect with the characters as they see Eric and Daniel’s difficult and crumbling relationship within minutes of the film’s start.
The characters were more relatable in this film than the first, and that was due to more than just the writing; the acting was significantly better than the first installment. The actors chosen for this film possessed an ability that Whannell and Cary Elwes did not have in the first. Wahlberg, Knudsen, Glenn Plummer (Jonas) and Franky G (Xavier) perfectly executed their roles and convinced audiences that what was taking place was real. The performances added more depth to the film and made the twists and turns along the way less predictable and far more enjoyable than before. Whannell stepped up his game and the addition of Bousman was wonderful as the series took a giant step in the right direction.
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