7) The Audiolab Massacre, Saw VI: Known to hardcore fans as the “right now you’re feeling helpless “ scene. Before this, Hoffman was just a monster, and Eric Matthews was the most badass character in the Saw universe. But in this one scene, he proved why there’s only room for one top dog, and why he deserved for it to be him. Agents Perez and Erickson discover that Hoffman is the new Jigsaw, and Hoffman snaps, killing three people in a very few quick smooth moves, And the he proceeds to stab Perez over and over again. The lengths he was willing to go to protect his secret were insane. Some people say that Hoffman was becoming too much like Jason Voorhees or Michael Meyers, but I just think this served to show how paranoid Hoffman had become, how desperate he was, and how much Jigsaw had miscalculated. He created a monster in Hoffman.
6) William Realizes It Isn’t His Game, Saw VI: This is the big twist of the installment. The whole film had implied that the main game was to teach William a lesson about the value of human life, at that the woman and boy (Tara and Brent) who’d been watching him on the t.v. monitors were William’s wife and son. But here we found out that the game was in fact Tara and Brent’s; their game was to sit and observe William and then make the choice whether or not to exact their revenge for William not granting Tara’s husband health coverage that could have saved his life, or to forgive him and let him live. The other piece to this puzzle/game, is the reporter, Pamela. At this point, we discover that she is William’s sister and the whole point to her being held captive in the game is so that she can plead her brother’s case and try to convince Tara and Brent to spare him. This was a nice touch, especially when fans were becoming concerned that victims in the franchise were becoming too arbitrary and not given enough of a chance to survive. Pamela’s whole point as a character were to give her brother a fighting chance.
5) John and Hoffman Set Up the Gas House Trap, Saw V: This particular film is among the least popular among fans. But this scene was one of the best things about Saw V . Seeing the backstory of Hoffman being involved with this trap was a great easter egg, but more than that it, addressed the issue of how Jigsaw was so good at what he did. He talks about predicting behavior, and understanding how people operate. Not only was it great to get a better understanding of how Jigsaw thinks, but to see him working with Hoffman as far back as Saw II explained many plot points.
4) Hoffman Escapes the Reverse Bear Trap, Saw VI: Again, just further proof of how awesome Hoffman is. The whole theme of this installment had been “the will to survive”. And when he is finally given his test, he doesn’t even hesitate. He breaks his hand, does whatever he has to , to get out of that trap. And when he does, he is ANGRY. He is no longer just trying to cover his tracks and get out of the world that Jigsaw brought him into; he is now out for blood. His escape is a turning point, and a fan favorite.
3) The Return to The Bathroom, Saw III: Talk about a major easter egg for the fans! After the original film, there are a total of only 3 returns to the set of the first film- where everything started. Not only was this the last one before the final movie, but it was perhaps the best return to the bathroom, because we got to see John and Amanda setting up Dr. Lawrence Gordon and Adam Faulkner/Stanheight’s game. This was a fantastic moment for the hardcore fans, and it reveals how far back Amanda’s involvement with John goes. To know that she was in on Jigsaw’s games since before the opening scene of the original film—that Jigsaw seemed to recruit her the very same day the Saw cops had her tell the story of her trap to Dr. Gordon—is an important piece of information. This entire sequence was simple, yet sop well done, and the remix of the Hello Zepp theme (this time, it’s called the Shithole Theme), just made the moment more intense.
2) Amanda’s Tape to Eric, Saw II: The hatred between Eric Matthews and Amanda Young was one of my favorite elements of the early installments. This is why I consider the tape Amanda left to Eric when she left him trapped in the bathroom, to be a very important moment in the franchise. The fact that it’s the only tape that has her voice instead of John’s, is so meaningful. Jigsaw later talks a lot about how the games can never be personal, but this one clearly is. Eric wronged Amanda, and this is her chance to get revenge. Everything that Amanda says on that tape makes Eric angrier and angrier, and when she finally shows her face at the end of the tape and locks him in the bathroom, you just know that the battle between them is not over. Her one and only tape is definitely one of my favorite tapes.
1) The Twist Ending in Saw: Do I even need to elaborate? This moment is my favorite moment in any movie, and it’s definitely one of the greatest twist endings of all time. The reveal that Zepp, the man we thought was responsible for the bathroom game, and all the other Jigsaw traps, is just another victim was so unexpected. It’s one of those “holy crap” moments. And then when the dead guy on the floor gets up off the ground and reveals that HE is actually Jigsaw…Well, let’s just say I’ve never believed anyone who says they saw that coming. This moment alone turned a movie that was really good, into something really great. Without that twist, there’s a pretty good chance this film would have fallen into the oblivion and there never would have been any sequels. That twist is what kept people talking about Saw.