Saw IV (2007)

Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, Saw IV (2007) is a horror film with a screenplay by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, and a story by Melton, Dunstan, and Thomas Fenton. During a routine autopsy of the notorious Jigsaw Killer, John Kramer, an unexpected discovery is made: a wax-coated microcassette hidden in his stomach. Lieutenant Mark Hoffman is then summoned to listen to the tape, which reveals that he will also be tested as he is now ‘the last man standing’. The following scene takes place in a mausoleum where Trevor and Art are being held captive with their eyelids and mouths sewn shut. As they are pulled closer together by a winch, panic sets in, causing Trevor to attack Art. In self-defense, Art ends up killing Trevor to retrieve a key from his collar. A flashback later reveals that Art finds two items waiting for him in the mausoleum – a recorded message from Jigsaw and an envelope containing instructions.

Detective Eric Matthews has been missing for six months now, followed by the recent disappearance of Detective Allison Kerry. As Hoffman pointed out, four days have passed since she vanished and her lifeless body was found by the police in Saw III. Lieutenant Daniel Rigg receives a warning for entering an unsecured door and subsequently meets FBI Agents Strahm and Perez. They suspect that Amanda Young, Jigsaw’s protégé, must have had help with Kerry’s fatal trap, indicating the involvement of another accomplice in the murder. Later that night, Rigg is ambushed at his residence and Hoffman goes missing. Upon regaining consciousness, Rigg discovers a videotape revealing that Matthews is still alive and he has only 90 minutes to rescue himself. The fate of Hoffman also hangs in the balance. This leads to Rigg’s first task – locating a woman named Brenda.