Saw: Every Movie's Main Game Ranked

7. Saw IV - Rigg's Game

Saw 3D Joyce
Lionsgate

Game: Officer Daniel Rigg (Lyriq Bent) is put through a series of traps designed to help him let go of his obsession with saving everyone. Rigg is told that, if he completes his game within 90 minutes, his missing colleague Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg, reprising his role from the previous two films) will be saved.

Saw IV's key game is a definite step-up from the others discussed so far, but it's still heavily flawed.

The huge, huge problem with this game is just how stupid and unfair it is. Officer Rigg is put through this grisly ordeal that ultimately costs him his life, and why was he tested? Because... he's a bit impatient and sometimes goes through doors without checking them. Seriously?!

The final scenes reveal that Rigg would've won the game and saved Detective Matthews had he arrived after the timer expired. Ere, who the hell would've ever been able to work that out? Just ridiculous.

Because this game was so unfair, and because wanting to save everyone isn't even really a negative quality at all, especially for a cop, pretty much everything about it feels largely un-earned. This game does, to its credit, have plenty of the powerfully gnarly moments we've all come to expect from Saw, but the writing deficiencies hold it back at every turn.

Contributor

Film Studies graduate, aspiring screenwriter and all-around nerd who, despite being a pretentious cinephile who loves art-house movies, also loves modern blockbusters and would rather watch superhero movies than classic Hollywood films. Once met Tommy Wiseau.