Facing the philosophical aspect of forgiveness

Rating: 9/10 (24 January 2019)

After a grilsy yet intellectual first movie and an intense psychological duel for the sequel, this third entry in the franchise deals with the philosophical aspect of forgiveness. Serial killer John Kramer is on his deathbed but he keeps organizing his twisted games in order to make people value their lives until his final breath. He asks an accomplice to kidnap a doctor who must make sure the serial killer survives until his latest victim succeeds in completing a series of particularly intriguing tests as a broken family father must decide whether he forgives those who are responsible for his son's tragic death that also destroyed his life. However, it's not only his latest victim who has to decide to be forgiving as another person is also playing a game without even knowing it.
The strongest element of the movie is its philosophical depth when the viewers needs to wonder how they would react under specific circumstances. Could you forgive a driver who hits your son so badly that he dies? How would you feel about a witness to this accident who doesn't intervene? What would you do to a judge that spares the reckless driver from a harsh sentence? The movie teaches us that we are all monsters inside but have different capacities in controling them.
This third entry is also the one with the greatest depth regarding the dying serial killer. One understands his motivations better than in previous installments. He is open to discuss his points of view on his deathbed which gives us a strangely fascinating yet gloomily repelling insight.
The film's stunning conclusion manages to surprise yet again as all loose ends are tied together and lead to a dramatic showdown that viewers won't see coming. The scriptwriters still manage to add intellectual depth at the most unexpected moments. The clever ending is rewarding and already leaves the viewers wanting to watch the next installment.
The philosophical aspect of forgiveness makes this movie stand out. The dealy traps are slightly less twisted than before but much more personal for the test subjects. Thanks to this fresh approach, this film is only slightly less intriguing than the strong immediate predecessor. Fans of the series can't get around watching this film. Saw III underlines the franchise's status as greatest horror film series of the new millennium.