“Saw,” a psychologically horrifying thriller, is an intense film that follows in the footsteps of the savage serial killer predecessor “Seven.”
Upon waking, two men discover themselves in a mysteriously blackened room, each chained to pipes on opposing walls. After shedding light on the disgustingly putrid bathroom in which they lay, the two men suddenly realize they are trapped inside a vicious game, where answers lie only in the mind of a seriously disturbed and psychotic killer nicknamed “Jigsaw.”
A dead body lies in the center of the room, with its brains blown out and a revolver in one hand. Their only clues are found on a mini tape recorder, leading the men to discover two individual hacksaws. Although these saws are not strong enough to cut through the chains constricting them, but just able to handle another job – the sawing off of their own feet.
And if things couldn’t get worse, Dr. Lawrence Gordon is instructed that if he doesn’t kill his cell-mate Adam within six hours, Jigsaw will take the lives of Gordon’s kidnapped wife and daughter and leave the two men inside their prison to rot in their misery.
While the men attempt to work together to piece this sick and jagged puzzle, Detective David Tapp (Danny Glover) tries desperately to track down the deranged lunatic.
What sets “Saw” aside from other serial-thriller movies is that it clearly and accurately represents the trite and commonplace term “worst nightmares.” Through Dr. Gordon’s storytelling, we learn about the killer’s past as well as possible connections to the doctor himself. We are also enlightened (and by enlightened, I mean permanently scarred) with the images and stories of Jigsaw’s past victims. For example, one female victim was told that she had to find the key to a device placed on her head, set to rip off her mouth and jaw. Where is the key? Inside the stomach of her live, yet unconscious dungeon-mate. All together now, “eeeew.”
Unlike other PG-13 fright fests, “Saw” does not hold back when it comes to blood and guts (hence, the R rating). Every possible nasty thing you can think of is spilled out before your eyes as Dr. Gordon recounts the tales of terror to Adam. Picture all the gruesome, disgusting and repulsive images that could come from the above scenario. “Saw” has all that and much more.
Other reviews I have read painted “Saw” a much inferior portrait. Entertainment Weekly called it “Another ‘Seven’ knockoff…a blatant imitation.” I beg to differ.
The movie’s twists and turns are not only unpredictable, but stomach turning as well. What makes “Saw” scary is the realistic portrayal of society’s most torturous psychopaths and the “what if…” feeling you receive as a result. It’s not about haunted houses or demons walking the earth. It’s about abductions and grotesque murders – two aspects of life that our society knows all too well.
What EW calls a “knockoff,” I call original. Despite Jigsaw’s treacherous plotting and shocking motives, the harrowing puppet-masked killer never actually does the killing. Instead, Jigsaw draws excitement from watching his victims struggle for their lives. Each instance is perfectly planned right down to the smallest and most insignificant detail, making the story even more believable and terrifying.
It wouldn’t be inaccurate to compare “Saw” with “Seven.” However, with nearly 10 years in between the creation of the films, differences are to be expected along with modernization of the formula. I left the theatre feeling extremely disturbed. The unshakeable images from this movie remain firmly fixed in my mind. The fast-paced editing of sheer terror and brutal killings along with a twisted storyline make “Saw” the scariest movie of the year.
The only word that fully describes this diabolical and deranged movie is intense.
See “Saw,” but for the meek, queasy, and easily scared, consider yourself warned.
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