Saw



Basic Plot: 

Two men wake up to find themselves chained up inside a bathroom by a sadistic serial killer. From there, they are forced to play the killer's game in an effort to survive.

Positives: 

First off, I really like the story this movie offers. At the time Saw came out in 2004, this was something that felt kind of refreshing. There's a solid mystery to the film as the two protagonists are forced to figure their way out of their situation. Going off of that, I also quite like how as the movie goes on, we learn that while neither one of them is purely evil, neither one is entirely worth rooting for either. The movie does a good job at throwing in some solid red herrings. They really make you hate this one particular character, and actually cheer at the idea of his death. For a movie with a relatively low budget, I actually think director James Wan does a pretty good job showing his talent. In a way, I also kind of like how restrained this first movie feels (especially in comparison to the rest of the franchise going forward). Finally, I can't talk about the things Saw did well without mentioning the movie's twist ending. It's also one of those twist endings that actually warrants repeat viewings.

Mixed Aspects: 

There is really only thing in this film I feel is truly a mixed bag: the acting. Don't get me wrong Tobin Bell and Michael Emerson are great in the movie. On the other hand, however, Leigh Whannell gives a really rocky first-time performance. As much as I love it when Cary Elwes hams it up in a movie, even I can admit that his American accent isn't nearly as convincing as it should be. But, for the most part, the acting actually does work for me. 

Negatives: 

Some of the editing in the movie feels really dated. For example there is a car chase in this movie that is just awful. There are also moments where it can feel like the movie strains credibility. For example there's a scene where Danny Glover's Detective Tapp interrogates Cary Elwes's Dr. Gordon. Then, Tapp has Gordon stay and listen to the story from one of Jigsaw's survivors. The question I have to ask to a moment like this is: why? Finally, let's talk about the thing about this movie (and franchise) that everyone seems to call out. There's a moment where Dr. Gordon utters the line: "Technically speaking he's not really a murderer. He never killed anyone. He finds ways for his victims to kill themselves." I don't care how you try to spin it, that still makes him a killer. 

Final Thoughts: 

I still really liked Saw quite a bit. Sure, some of the flaws have become more noticeable over time. But, it's hard to ignore the impact this first movie has had on the horror genre. I still think the things that work for me are just too good, and definitely outweigh my issues with the film. 

My Rating:

🩸🩸🩸🩸  

Comments

  1. BeckyMay 20, 2021 at 4:33 PM

    I quite like the original SAW as well. There was so much "OOOH!" factor when it first came out, then backlash and people were all "The twist is sooo obvious!" And I'm like "Just enjoy shit, ok?"
    And yeah, the whole "technically not a killer" always reminds me of Batman and Ra's al Ghul in Batman Begins. My guy, it's the same thing. :)

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