(dir. James Wan )
In light
of its 10th anniversary I decided it was time to revisit Saw. James Wan’s first feature arguably ushered
in the most significant shakeup in the horror genre since Scream. For the first few years of the franchise, the Saw films
were the talk of Halloween amongst high-school age moviegoers. And at least in
my circle, people were categorized by those who could handle Saw and those who couldn’t. While the much
of the shock factor has faded (perhaps a result of seeing too many horror
movies) and parts of the film haven’t held up too well, Jigsaw’s motivation is
still just as compelling and memorable.
Saw feels like a delayed
result of Seven and it seems Wan
is attempting to capture some of that aesthetic here, but there’s a 70s
drive-in quality to the filmmaking and performances that’s unshakeable. Saw had the makings of a cult film before it ever became one. There are some odd directorial
choices such as the rapid music video-esque cuts in the flashback sequences and
use of quick montages. It’s quite interesting to see how much Wan has grown
from this to The Conjuring, so much
so that films feel like the work of entirely different directors. What Wan and
his writing partner, Leigh Whannell excel at is creating clever plots. While
there are a number of dumb things the characters do in the movie, the concept
is smart and the finale is still chilling. It’s still easy to see why audiences
and studio honchos thought it was worth a sequel, though maybe not six.
Scare Factor: 2/5 Saw is probably one of the most widely watched modern horror films,
but if it’s been a while since you’ve seen it it’s worth a rewatch. While the
genre has shifted again, and sequel fatigue and paranormal activities put the
franchise to rest, the original remains a messy, yet clever film with a frightening
concept and a decent execution.
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