Pulpmovies Reviews

Running a site such as this gives me the opportunity to see a number of low and micro budget films that I wouldn’t otherwise be aware of. Some of them can be right clunkers, most range from being okay to quite good. But every now and then I get to see something that is nothing short of incredible – and these are the films that make the whole thing worthwhile.

Scott Staven’s first film, Jigsaw is just such a film.

Constructed from the outset as a puzzle, we are initially presented with a series of seemingly unconnected events slowly being brought together to allow the story to slowly emerge. In the early stages of the film, this very non-linear approach does leave you feeling more than a little perplexed, but it is well worth sticking with even though you have very little idea of what is going on. The style of the film is very helpful at this point.

Shot largely in black and white, Jigsaw has a very dark, very grainy feel that not only gels well with the film’s noir intentions, but really does hold your attention. Kudos, too, should go to composer Colin Andrew Ford for coming up with a soundtrack which fits the cinematography perfectly to generate an atmosphere that is both dark and disorienting.

But there is a lot more to the atmosphere than the look and sound of the film. The editing here is hugely important, linking (or, more accurately, suggesting links between) apparently unconnected scenes. All of which goes to underline the mind game at the heart of the film and encourages the audience to think about what is happening and to try and work out how the events being depicted are connected.

And then, at around the 30 minute mark, it all starts coming together and – as is so important in a film such as this – every piece of the puzzle starts to make sense. From here on in, every scene builds on what has gone before (or, given the non-chronological nature of the film, since) to shed more and more light on the plot as it builds towards a very strong ending.

No film is perfect but Jigsaw comes close and any criticisms I have are minor to the point of being trivial. And given the consistently excellent acting throughout as well as the assured and intricate plot construction, this really is a film that keeps you hooked throughout.

If intelligent noirish thrillers are your thing, then Jigsaw is unmissable. If they’re not, you should try and see the film anyway.

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