Saw came out almost two decades ago and flipped the horror genre on its head. No matter what you think of the film, the ending is still one of the most shocking of all-time. I won’t spoil it for you but will tell you I was absolutely shocked to see it unfold for the very first time.
I remember back in the day how I didn’t think much of the movie. Armed with a limited amount of clues in the room, the victims had to find to solve their own mysteries of why they were brought together. The whole “do you want to play a game” was just the beginning and still working the bugs out of its system. I understand that two main games are going on simultaneously, the two guys in chains and the cops trying to catch a killer dubbed Jigsaw. One was a game, and the other wasn’t. Cops chasing bad guys is their job, and clues are the central part of their job that it’s not a game. Jigsaw never really taunts the cops, no matter how close they get to catch the old man.
If I had to guess, no one would have imagined the success of this film. This fantastic concept launched an entire franchise that has spanned almost two decades now. Introduced the world to a handful of memorable characters and traps. The storytelling is unique and makes it an instant standout in the genre. No matter how much people try to copy the original ideas presented in Saw, it will be hard to duplicate the original.
There’s a lot of debate on whether Jigsaw is an actual murder or just the voice of reason. He may or may not be a kidnapper, although he usually allows the victims to work out of their dilemmas and save lives. The entire “game” concept was a fresh idea that attracted a whole new generation to the genre. Some people, of course, turn away because of the blood and guts, but this first film doesn’t showcase all the gore the series is known to produce. This one cut all those gory parts out and saved them for later.
The impact of Saw in the horror genre can never go unnoticed. I understand that some of you won’t feel that way, and we are all entitled to our opinions, but when you catch lightning in a bottle, you know how special that it. The first Saw movie is not my favourite, even though I respect it for how suspenseful it is and how it changed what we wanted in horror movies. 8/10
Ten Stars or Less 