Review of Saw (2004) by James C — 17 Sep 2013

When two men awake to find themselves chained together in a ruined bathroom, they discover the escaping could cost them everything.

The original movie in the hugely popular franchise is a great example of the 'less is more; school of movie making. The plot is deliberately thin and a majority of the movie is based around the two characters that are locked together and it is through their recent activities that you learn about the people around them. The characters are incredibly well visualised and special mentions have to go to Cary Elwes and Leigh Whannell, as they work so well together in the lead roles. The story movies along incredibly well, and you can really feel the desperation growing in all the characters as things progress, right up to the climax that left a lot of the movie's audiences reeling in their seats. The gore is actually quite minimal, but when it does happen it is handled excellently, and the way the movie is shot the bloodred hues really stand out against the washed-out backgrounds. The production values are very high especially when you take into consideration that it had a relatively low budget, and the fusion of fast editing, visual style, and music score all seem to go naturally hand in hand. This is one of those movies where you look back and actually think you have seen more than is actually shown on screen, and it proves that even the simplest story, when handled correctly can pack a huge punch. Saw is a true classic of modern horror and it went on not only to spawn 6 sequels, but to also become the inspiration for a lot other movies that followed it.