Saw Movie Review

Saw (2004)

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Written by: Leigh Whannell, James Wan and Leigh Whannell (story by)
Directed by: Alex Kurtzman
Starring: Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover, Michael Emerson, Ken Leung. Benito Martinez, Shawnee Smith
Rated: R
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Plot
Two strangers awaken in a room with no recollection of how they got there, and soon discover they're pawns in a deadly game perpetrated by a notorious serial killer.

Verdict
What a ride. The premise is a twisted game that's life or death. Unwilling participants must sacrifice to win and thus live. While it's dark and disturbed, the mystery drives the plot. Why is this happening? Who is doing this? Just when we think we get the answers, this isn't done. The conclusion keeps ramping, getting more shocking. While the underlying question of what would you do is a fun exercise, the conclusion to this doesn't disappoint in the least.
Watch It.

Review
This was Wan and Whannell's screenwriting debut, creating a one scene short from the script in hopes of financing the movie. I saw this not long after it came out, but having recently watched Saw X, I began to wonder if the first movie was as good as I remembered. Saw X is just one gruesome scene after another with no tension, no anticipation. Was I remembering the original as better than it was? The answer is no. Saw X isn't good, but the original Saw is incredible. Part of of is the first one had a great premise. The sequels are copies coasting on its success. The original also had a tiny budget, forcing it to be inventive and creative. The story and mood had to overcome the lack of budget. The sequels hope the budget and effects can cover the lack of story.

Adam (Leigh Whannell) wakes up in a bathroom, chained to the wall. He then realizes Lawrence (Cary Elwes) is chained to the opposite wall and there's a dead man between them. Neither remember how they got to this room. It's a great hook. There's more narrative in the first five minutes of this movie than all of Saw X.

Leigh Whannell plays Adam

Adam and Lawrence try to reason why they're trapped. Slowly they find clues in the room and a cassette tape in their pockets that let them know they're playing a game of life and death. This creates a great mood that none of the other movies have been able to capture. These guys have to use the resources on hand for answers to the puzzle. This is basically an escape room, but in this game if you fail you die.

The framing device is the police investigation into this serial killer that doesn't actually kill. His goal is to make people appreciate living. The analogous story helps the pacing, but I'm more interested in what's happening in the room. The cop stuff doesn't feel as grounded. Would two cops confront a serial killer without backup?

Cary Elwes plays Lawrence

This is an indie movie and it feels like it. We're watching people driven to madness. How far will you go to save your life or the lives of your family? This shows how desperate the characters are, but the torture is never gross and it has incredible restraint in what it shows and doesn't. That makes this so much better and more engaging. The creators had a small budget and short time frame forcing them to be inventive and it pays off. The way the driving scenes are filmed are due to lack of budget, but it feeds into the mood.

This seems to have a rather typical thriller reveal, but instead it keeps going. It feels like the writers were dissatisfied with the typical reveal of movies in this genre. The first reveal isn't the only reveal and it changes everything With one sentence, this changes everything we thought we knew. The intensity is amplified with how much is happening at one time. It's an amazing ride and the ending only improves it.