Review: Saw

Saw (2004)

After recently seeing the finale to the renowned gore-fest (Saw: 3D), I decided to watch all seven Saw films in order of release and post a review of each one for every day of the week, in order to determine what the franchise did right, and what it did wrong. First of all I have to give the franchise some credit. It put horror back to the top of the box office, and finally took over Scream as the highest grossing horror franchise of all time. Although I can’t credit any film after the first for pushing the boundaries of innovation, I thought the first carved out a satisfying atmosphere of mystery and horror.

For those few horror fans that have never seen Saw, the first film revolves around two main characters: Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) and Adam Stranheight (Leigh Wannel). Neither of these two are saints but Dr. Gordon comes off as slightly more likeable. He’s the protagonist of the film, and although Adam isn’t hateable, he doesn’t develop into one of the classic Saw franchise characters. Both awaken chained to a pipe in a large bathroom, confused and untrusting of the other. With a handful of vague clues, including a tape, a cigarette, a bullet and a dead man at the centre of the room, the pair must beat the game and save their lives, and also the lives of Dr. Gordon’s wife and daughter. This is all while Detective Tapp is on the trail of the man responsible.

So who’s running the show? That’s the mystery of the film. Neither Dr. Gordon or Adam are certain who’s holding them captive. Dr. Gordon does have a suspicion though, that the Jigsaw killer is responsible. The Jigsaw killer puts people through their paces so that they can appreciate their lives. “Putting them through their paces” you must realise is a monumental understatement. One of the tests in this film requires a self harmer to climb out of a room that is filled to the brim with razor wire. This brings me to one of the downsides of the first Saw - The Traps. I have no complaint for the main storyline, but the minor traps that are synonymous with the later Saw films, are infrequent and quite unglamorous in comparison to Saw III for example.

Once the film’s 104 minutes has concluded, you will most likely be satisfied with the ending. Heck, this is the third time I’ve seen Saw, and I was still satisfied with the ending. The film could be a little shorter. Some of the “hostage” scenes are slow and can drag a little, red herrings are abundant, and I was left asking one particular question about the actions of one of the main characters at the end of the film. That being said, this film offers one of the most intelligent entries in to the Saw franchise, from its raw beginnings on a small budget, with a great atmosphere of suspense, it is in my opinion the second best Saw film.

If anyone is still yet to catch on to the Saw hype, after almost seven years, then I recommend checking the original out. Now available to buy as cheap as it is to rent, it would be wise to add it to your film collection. I strays out of the reputation of Saw being a blood filled, dumb franchise. In fact, this film is fairly clever for a horror, and doesn’t even have a great deal of gore to speak of (in comparison to the others), with a great cast of characters and the first appearance of that infamous “Hello Zepp” theme, even if your sceptical, give the first Saw a £3 purchase, you might just end up buying all seven.

Score: 7.5

Recommendation: Buy