The Saw franchise is one of the most controversial horror franchises out there; while it clearly has a dedicated fan base, there are others who simply can’t sit through its gruesome, sickening horror sequences. It’s developed somewhat of a reputation for being tough to watch at times, and that’s no different with Saw V .

By this point in the franchise, Saw needed to take some dark, bold swings to keep audiences on board. The first movie had been massively successful with its creative, low-budget storytelling, and the first couple of sequels did an excellent job of expanding the mythology with new characters and key plot twists. By the fifth movie, Saw began relying on the gore and violence to keep the viewers hooked.

The majority of the Saw movies open with some kind of ‘trap’: a twisted device that victims are strapped into and forced to complete painful trials in order to stop it from killing them.…