Saw
Rent/Purchase
Two men wake up to find themselves shackled in a grimy, abandoned bathroom. As they struggle to comprehend their predicament, they discover a disturbing tape left behind by the sadistic mastermind known as Jigsaw. With a chilling voice and cryptic instructions, Jigsaw informs them that they must partake in a gruesome game in order to secure their freedom.
What critics thought
DivisiveCritics in 2004 were sharply split: some found the low-budget trap-room premise inventively nasty, while others dismissed it as a derivative, overplotted riff on Seven with worse acting and less finesse. Audiences, however, embraced it far more warmly than reviewers did, and horror commentators later credited it as a defining film of its decade — a gap between critical reception and lasting cultural impact that is arguably the most interesting thing about it.
“crude concoction sewn together from the severed parts of prior horror/serial killer pics”
Dennis Harvey·Variety
“boasts an intricate structure—complex flashbacks-within-flashbacks explain how the characters have come to this crisis—and a satisfying mystery to go with its ghastly claustrophobia.”
Kim Newman·Empire
“derivative and messy and too nonsensical for its own good.”
Owen Gleiberman·Entertainment Weekly
“well made and acted, and does what it does about as well as it could be expected to”
Roger Ebert·RogerEbert.com
“Saw is so full of twists it ends up getting snarled. For all of his flashy engineering and inventive torture scenarios, the Jigsaw Killer comes across as an amateur. Hannibal Lecter would have him for lunch.”
Carina Chocano·Los Angeles Times
Genres
Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Cast & Crew
DirectorJames Wan
StarringLeigh Whannell, Cary Elwes, Tobin Bell, Danny Glover, Ken Leung
ComposerCharlie Clouser
Saw
Two men wake up to find themselves shackled in a grimy, abandoned bathroom. As they struggle to comprehend their predicament, they discover a disturbing tape left behind by the sadistic mastermind known as Jigsaw. With a chilling voice and cryptic instructions, Jigsaw informs them that they must partake in a gruesome game in order to secure their freedom.
What critics thought
DivisiveCritics in 2004 were sharply split: some found the low-budget trap-room premise inventively nasty, while others dismissed it as a derivative, overplotted riff on Seven with worse acting and less finesse. Audiences, however, embraced it far more warmly than reviewers did, and horror commentators later credited it as a defining film of its decade — a gap between critical reception and lasting cultural impact that is arguably the most interesting thing about it.
“crude concoction sewn together from the severed parts of prior horror/serial killer pics”
Dennis Harvey·Variety
“boasts an intricate structure—complex flashbacks-within-flashbacks explain how the characters have come to this crisis—and a satisfying mystery to go with its ghastly claustrophobia.”
Kim Newman·Empire
“derivative and messy and too nonsensical for its own good.”
Owen Gleiberman·Entertainment Weekly
“well made and acted, and does what it does about as well as it could be expected to”
Roger Ebert·RogerEbert.com
“Saw is so full of twists it ends up getting snarled. For all of his flashy engineering and inventive torture scenarios, the Jigsaw Killer comes across as an amateur. Hannibal Lecter would have him for lunch.”
Carina Chocano·Los Angeles Times
Genres
Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Cast & Crew
DirectorJames Wan
StarringLeigh Whannell, Cary Elwes, Tobin Bell, Danny Glover, Ken Leung
ComposerCharlie Clouser
Rent/Purchase