10 Horror Movies Where The Hero ALMOST Won
7. Saw V
Saw big bad John Kramer, aka Jigsaw, is known as a serial killer, even though he's never directly murdered anyone. Not only that, his tests are designed so the unwilling participants will survive if they obey the rules to the letter.
Although Kramer's disciple Hoffman doesn't follow his mentor's teachings, he did give Agent Strahm a fair shot of surviving the Glass Coffin trap in Saw V. Hoffman left a tape inside the box that explains how Strahm will be safe if he gets inside it. Since the coffin is filled with broken glass, Strahm assumes Hoffman is lying. When Hoffman appears, Strahm opts to chuck him into the container and seal the door shut.
However, Strahm realises Hoffman was telling the truth when he sees the room's walls closing in on him as the coffin safely lowers beneath the floor. For his mistake, Strahm is crushed to death, while Hoffman gets away scot-free.
What makes this moment more tragic is the fact Strahm survived the Water Cube box earlier, which appeared to be inescapable. After beating a seemingly impossible trap, Strahm failed to survive the easiest trial possible.