amullen34

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.

There are a lot of problems with modern horror movies today. Unfortunately, this movie does fall into a couple of common tropes with these kinds of movies, but it also does so much more.

Unfortunately, like many modern horror movies, this movie does rely on jumpscares for its scary scenes, for the most part. And, like many other movies, those jumpscares frequently are not very frightening. The scares in this movie are pretty predictable, and outside of one scene, I never found myself too scared or tense. But generally, these problems didn't bother me, because this movie is meant to be more than just scary.

This is not a movie about some evil monster that kills kids. This is a movie about a group of adolescents who are forced to grow up quickly one summer. The kids make this movie. Every child actor in this movie is phenomenal, with Finn Wolfhard as the standout in my opinion. This movie succeeds because the audience really feels for the kids. No doubt, there is at least one member of the Loser's club that you probably relate to from your own childhood, and that's what makes this movie so enjoyable. So many other horror movies forget to make the characters actually relatable and likeable, but this movie puts the focus on these characters and their own struggles and problems, and how those relate to the overall problem facing their town of Derry. As a result, there are many scenes of this movie that involve no horror whatsoever, and I think that turns some people off who were expecting a non-stop horrifying experience. This movie has scary moments, but I would say this is a coming-of-age story disguised as a horror movie. And I loved it.

When people hear the name M. Night Shyamalan, many will cringe and recall The Last Airbender or The Happening. I make no claims that those movies aren't terrible, but many people judge the director based solely on those films rather than the Sixth Sense or Unbreakable, his two best movies in my opinion. But if someone still needed convincing that Shyamalan is a director worth respecting and following after those movies, I would show them Split next.

Many people call this movie Shyamalan's return to form (I liked The Visit more than most, but this movie is definitely better). After big budget, high CGI blockbusters like After Earth, it's so refreshing to see Shyamalan returning to what he does best: low-budget thrillers. This movie is excellently directed, with the incredible cinematography I've come to expect from Shyamalan. This movie feels very claustrophobic, and it pulls you into the movie and won't let go. I couldn't be happier to see Shyamalan in full control of this movie, and its all the better for it.

Of course, the star of this movie is James McAvoy. He gives himself fully to this role and doesn't hold back, and I would seriously call this his best performance ever. The way he can switch from one personality to another so quickly is astonishing. Anya Taylor-Joy is also very good in this movie, but unfortunately, aside from those two leads, most of the other characters feel one-dimensional and uninteresting.

Overall, this movie is incredible. I would say that James McAvoy carries this film, but there is still a lot to love outside of his performance. Although there are minor problems with pacing and the exposition sometimes feels forced, this movie is thrilling and deserves to be right up there with the Sixth Sense and Unbreakable as Shyamalan's best.