SAW (2004)

It's Halloween again, and with this time of the year comes another saw film,
this year brings us SAW 3D, which will (hopefully) be the last in the 7 film franchise, but where did it all begin? what kind of movie spawns 6 sequals and goes on to be one of the highest grossing Horror Franchises of all time? let's find out today with SAW.

The 2004 and horror/thriller movie is brought to us by Director James Wan and writer/star Leigh Whannell,based on a short film they made in 2003 (of the same name). Photographer Adam (Whannell) and Surgeon Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) wake up to find themselves chained to pipes in a dirty, windowless and quiet shower room with a body between them and tapes revealing they have only a limited amount of time to escape, or not only does Dr Gordon die, but his wife and daughter too. so it becomes a race against the clock to find out why they are there, and how they will escape.

In the wrong hands the film could have become very formulaic and mundane and wouldn't have had the lasting power it has today, but the passion and vision from creators Wan and Whanell give us the kind of horror movie never seen before. a smart one. The plot spans out beyond the confines of the enclosed shower room long enough to fill you in on what's going on on the outside as well as in the past (as flashbacks) but doesn't leave it too long before dragging you back again, leading to possibly one of the greatest endings of the 2000's.

Conclusion: Superb performances from all involved (excluding Danny Glover) made this low budget gore/thriller all the more chilling and convincing, while tight Writing, Directing and Editing made it also a beauty to behold (with a badass soundtrack and scoring to boot) 8/10