Directed by:
James WanScreenplay:
Leigh WhannellCinematography:
David A. ArmstrongComposer:
Charlie ClouserCast:
Leigh Whannell, Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Ken Leung, Michael Emerson, Tobin Bell, Makenzie Vega, Shawnee Smith, Dina Meyer, Benito Martinez (more)VOD (1)
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This tense horror is the directorial debut for James Wan, and the first screenplay written by actor Leigh Whannell, who also stars. Two men, Adam (Whannell) and Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes), wake up to find themselves chained to pipes in a room they have never seen before. Between them lies the dead body of a man with apparently self-inflicted gunshot wounds. As they begin to piece together the circumstances that led to their predicament, the pair realise they are the latest victims of a serial killer known as the Jigsaw, who orchestrates situations in which his captors will be driven to kill each other. They also learn that the killer has taken Gordon's family hostage. How can the men possibly outwit this sadistic psychopath in time to save themselves and the hostages? (Sony Pictures Releasing)
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Reviews (13)
A delight. The triumph is not so much the story itself, but rather its imaginative compositional structure – the uncompromising way it throws us into the plot, the brilliantly constructed atmosphere of hopelessness and physical danger, and the gradual uncovering of the past, which allows us to patiently, bit by bit, look deeper and deeper into the whole plot scheme and absorb its depressing atmosphere with an ever-increasing heart rate. The action-packed ending almost brings down the seriousness of the whole thing to the level of a furiously edited teenage murder mystery (comparisons with Se7en are therefore inappropriate in this respect and others), but the murderous, unpredictable twist puts a crown on a great script, which despite its exaggerated effect impressed me massively. An innovative and extremely entertaining game with proven genre elements and, among others, absolutely (for most of the runtime) amazing editing and awesome soundtrack... Content-wise, it has its flaws, but formally it’s 5* without any doubt. 85%
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There are quite a few things that didn’t come together, the acting isn't the best, but given the filmmakers' enthusiasm, the budget, the ideas (viewing a room through a camera flash), and most importantly, the brilliant and formally bombastic ending, it deserves a buck. Too bad the sequels just ruin the name of this awesome thriller.
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This is a very powerful, intense, and somewhat petrifying movie that everyone should watch to get an idea of how to play games in adulthood, if no one wants to play with you anymore, and if you are tired of playing board games like Ludo. Of course, you clearly cannot say that about the other sequels, as they lack the form and concepts of the first movie.
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The overwhelming majority of films in this style don't even fall into the B-movie category; they're more like C-movies and have a woefully semi-amateurish character. Saw significantly stands out from these productions with its professionalism and is currently the actual pinnacle of the genre. It boasts a relatively sophisticated script, professional direction, editing, camera work, and acting performances that don't elicit disdainful smiles. Along with its horror atmosphere, strongly naturalistic shots, and effective ending, it creates a perfect cocktail to become a box office hit. On the other hand, the script isn't so well-developed that it can avoid inconsistencies and some clichés. The editing at times resembles music video production, and the flashbacks only serve to delay the story. Overall impression: 60%. Subsequent installments of this film lacked the originality of the original and were merely squeezing money from the pockets of viewers.
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An atmospheric slaughter movie that I found surprising thanks to some of the twists. Great ideas put into practice well. Wan certainly knows his stuff. It was pleasant to see many well-known and quality actors alongside some unknown ones. But it isn’t so brutal and doesn’t make you jump, so don’t be afraid. ;)
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