Tobin Bell’s Saw IV turns 19, but its reviews still tell two different stories.

While Rotten Tomatoes gives the horror sequel just 19%, critic Grant Watson sees something more inventive. In fact, Watson titled his January 2026 Fiction Machine essay “Why Saw IV is one of the world’s best sequels.”

However, his argument focuses on how the film builds on earlier chapters, not whether everyone should enjoy its gore.

How Tobin Bell’s Saw IV kept Jigsaw alive

Initially, director Darren Lynn Bousman faced a problem: John Kramer, Bell’s Jigsaw killer, had died in Saw III . Instead of bringing him back from the dead, the fourth film explores his past through flashbacks.

Meanwhile, the main story follows officer Daniel Rigg, played by Lyriq Bent, through another set of dangerous tests.…