Saw

The Saw movies tend to get a pretty bad rap. Most people think of them as senselessly violent and overly gory torture fests with no actual interesting plots or characters. Granted, some of the movies are like that. But, when you watch this 2004 original, leave those expectations at the door, because this movie is just a genuinely good thriller and mystery.

This movie has an intriguing premise of two strangers waking up in a room, handcuffed to pipes. As the move progresses, this mystery unfolds as we learn more and more about these two characters and about the situation that they are in. There are many twists and turns as the movie unfolds, but they never feel forced. These twists feel organic and are truly shocking. Because of this, I don't think of this movie really as a horror movie. It feels more like a mystery thriller, and it draws you into its premise. However, it is a very tense movie and there are some frightening scenes, so it does succeed as a horror movie as well.

If gore is the main thing keeping you from watching this movie, I would give it a try. Granted, there is gore in this movie, but it's not nearly as much as you would expect from a movie these days with Saw in the name. The gore is never intrusive or over-the-top, and it certainly is never meant to be the point of the movie. If you cannot watch gore at all, there may be a couple of scenes where you'll want to close your eyes, but there is still so much to enjoy from this movie outside of those moments.

Since "Nattevagten" I have not seen a thriller that has kept me on the edge of my seat as well as "Saw". Right from the beginning this original story sucks you in and doesn't let you go until the very end. Thrillers as gripping as this one have become extremely rare in times like these, where people have seen almost everything and can guess any twist during the first half of the movie. With "Saw" James Wan and Leigh Whannell, the creative heads behind this project, set new standards. Think you're hard-boiled? Think again and watch "Saw", a movie that will creep you out and surprise you beyond your expectations.

"Saw" has been advertised as the new "Se7en" and while both movies are definitely in the same tradition, "Saw" does a much better job at actually being creepy. Jigsaw is the most gruesome killer the cinema has seen in a loooong time. Wan and Whannel really came up with a monster that has no peer. Where many movies drift into ridiculousness trying to establish the villain as an almost superhuman evil being, "Saw" does never get anywhere near that trap. Sure, the cops are depicted way too stupid and the killer is unrealistically smart, outshining each and every opponent with his perfect plans, but hey, "Se7en" and "Silence Of The Lambs" didn't care too much about realism, either, did they?

"Saw" does have some flaws. Those sped-up tracking shots have just been used too many times by now, the structure of the script is weird and jumps from one period of time to another, some characters' lines are a bit clichéd. However, considering that this movie was made in only 18 days by two independent filmmakers with literally no budget at all, it's really inappropriate to be petty about technical subtleties, when Wan and Whannel came up with such an original and stirring movie.

I can't remember the last time I've been surprised by a movie's final twist, but "Saw" has an ending that I didn't see coming at all. This thriller is the most original piece of independent film-making since "Cube". I'm really looking forward to seeing how Wan and Whannell's career develops after this fine sleeper.

I was always terrified to watch this movie because I thought it would be over the top blood and gore. I finally found the nerve and was extremely surprised. Unlike other horror movies this one takes in the entire scene of the detectives trying to catch the murder while you're trying to figure out what is going on. Even though the movie keeps flashing back it helps take some intensity off of what's going on and adds a nice story to it. Instead of a meaningless film with blood and gore, this one had a well thought out storyline and a killer with rules. It reminded me a little of Silence of the lambs, they both have that edge that anything brutal and gory can happen any moment keeping up the intensity of the film. Don't get me wrong there is blood and gore in the film, but it's done in a tasteful way unlike some of the final destination movies.

Two seemingly unrelated people (Cary Elwes and Leigh Whinnell) wake up in a secluded, dingy bathroom, chained to the wall. With nothing but their wits, a few clues, and a hacksaw, they must figure out who put them in their predicament and how to get out. Well, assuming they're able to get out. For an added bonus, one of the men has a kidnapped family on the outside.

Falsely categorized as "torture porn" (the violence and gore here are more in line with "Seven" than "Hostel"), this film was the first smart horror film of the 2000s. Intelligent horror fans not only got the blood they wanted, but a clever villain and a mystery to solve. Later sequels would get more complicated than episodes of "Lost", and the series loses something as it goes (all franchises do), but this original stands as one of the modern greats. And, luckily, you can watch it without any of the sequels and it makes sense.

There has been an effort in recent years to academically analyze "Saw", injecting a false connotation on to the film. One scholarly article points to the "militarization" of Jigsaw in a post-9/11 world. Jigsaw, like the military, carries out violent acts, but has found ways to rationalize them with moral justifications (saving the worthy, letting the undeserving die). The author makes various other parallels about a "military" setting, mentioning IEDs and the industrial setting of Jigsaw's workshop. I find this to be largely silly, and not at all the creators' intention. I see a much more obvious line of progression from "Silence of the Lambs" to "Seven" to "Saw" with the advent of the brilliant, self-moralizing serial killer. Even Hitchcock's "Rope" offered a justification for murder, albeit a poor one. Terrorism or not, the horror film will go on.

You can make complaints, sure. But for young writers and directors, this was a blockbuster and deserved the massive success it got. As someone who pays close attention to a film's writing and plot, I was stunned. My only real concern is at the very end, when the key's location is revealed. I can't discuss this in a review, but let's just say I found that to be uncharacteristic and unfair of the killer.

If you haven't seen "Saw" yet, see it. And see the second film. After that, they start to go downhill. But the first two are quite good and must-see viewing for all horror fans.

One of the best movies I've watched. I didn't get any spoilers while watching this movie and the ending was devastating.

The tension was perfect and you are looking forward to the end.

Soundtrack is one of the best. I always watch it, even if the series gets worse as it goes.