Saw VI

Saw VI is a 2009 horror film directed by Kevin Greutert from a screenplay written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. It is the sixth installment in the seven–part Saw film series and stars Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Mark Rolston, Peter Outerbridge, and Shawnee Smith. It was produced by Mark Burg and Oren Koules of Twisted Pictures and distributed by Lionsgate.

Saw VI concludes the second trilogy of the series that focused on the posthumous effects of the Jigsaw Killer and the progression of his successor, Mark Hoffman. In the film, Hoffman sets a series of traps for an insurance executive, William Easton and his employees. Meanwhile the FBI trails Peter Strahm, now suspected of being Jigsaw's last accomplice, and Hoffman is drawn into motion to protect his secret identity.

Greutert, who served as editor for all the previous Saw films, made his directorial debut with Saw VI. Melton and Dunstan, the writers for both Saw IV and V, returned to write the screenplay and Charlie Clouser, who provided the score for all previous Saw films, composed the score. Filming took place in Toronto from March to May 2009 with a budget of $11 million.

The film was released in New Zealand and Australia on October 22, 2009, and October 23 in the United States and Canada. In Spain it was the first film to receive a Película X rating for violence (a rating usually reserved for pornographic films); the rating restricted screenings to eight select theaters in that country. It was released almost a year later on October 8, 2010 in Spain with an "18" rating, after the producers had the offensive content edited out, according to the rating board. With gross receipts of $14 million in its opening weekend, Saw VI placed second to Paranormal Activity's $21 million. Saw VI went on to gross over $68 million worldwide, the lowest-grossing Saw film to date, but still a financial success compared to its small budget. Reviews were mixed, with some criticizing the acting and others praising Greutert's directing. Although Saw 3D: The Final Chapter was the last of the series, Saw VI was promoted as a "celebration" of the first Saw.