Saw (2004)

With a dead body laying between them, two men wake up in the secure lair of a serial killer who's been nicknamed "Jigsaw". The men must follow various rules and objectives if they wish to survive and win the deadly game set for them.

Director:

James Wan

Writers:

Leigh Whannell, James Wan (story),

Stars:

Leigh Whannell, Cary Elwes, Danny Glover

5 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Leigh Whannell	...	Adam Faulkner-Stanheight
Cary Elwes	...	Dr. Lawrence Gordon
Danny Glover	...	Detective David Tapp
Ken Leung	...	Detective Steven Sing
Dina Meyer	...	Kerry
Mike Butters	...	Paul
Paul Gutrecht	...	Mark
Michael Emerson	...	Zep Hindle
Benito Martinez	...	Brett
Shawnee Smith	...	Amanda
Makenzie Vega	...	Diana Gordon
Monica Potter	...	Alison Gordon
Ned Bellamy	...	Jeff
Alexandra Bokyun Chun	...	Carla (as Alexandra Chun)
Avner Garbi	...	Father

Storyline

Two men wake up at opposite sides of a dirty, disused bathroom, chained by their ankles to pipes. Between them lies a dead man loosely clutching a hand-held tape player and a handgun. Each finds a tape the perfect fit for the player in their back pocket. They play the tapes. One is threatened, the other isn't. But they have a task: One must kill the other by 6:00, or his wife and daughter will die. They find hacksaws in a toilet, and try to cut the chains, but it doesn't work. They are the two newest victims of the Jigsaw Killer. In a flashback, we learn of Amanda, a girl who falls victim to the Jigsaw Killer. On her head is a mask, which is hooked into her lower jaw. There is a timer on it. Only one key will unlock it, and that key is in the digestive tract of her cell mate who lies paralyzed on the opposite side of the room. If she doesn't unlock the mask in time, her lower jaw will be ripped wide open. She survives, but her cell mate doesn't. Through a series of flashbacks, we ...

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Plot Keywords:

killer | flashback | toilet | bathroom | serial killer | 

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Taglines:

Death is a shortcut (Denmark)

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Genres:

Crime | Horror | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated NC-17 for strong graphic violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official Fan Club

Country:

USA Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 October 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Juego macabro

Filming Locations:

Lacy Street Production Center - 2630 Lacy Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,200,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$110,822 (South Africa) (1 April 2005)

Gross:

$172,993 (South Africa) (8 April 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Evolution Entertainment, Saw Productions Inc., Twisted Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS DTS (5.1 surround)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the original draft, the Zepp character was to do strange acts with Alison's underwear in her draws, but 'Leigh Whannel' cut it out as he thought it was a bit 'too far' it was rewritten as the gun and the listening of the heartbeat

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Goofs

When Tapp and his partner go after the Jigsaw Killer on their own, they do not take a SWAT team or uniformed officers because they have no warrant, and it is thus an illegal search which the police would not provide support for.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Adam: Help! Someone help me! Is someone there? Hey! Oh shit, I'm probably dead.

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Crazy Credits

The opening title ripples like it was underwater.

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Connections

Referenced in Welshy Reviews: Twin Town (2011)

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Soundtracks

"You Make Me Feel So Dead"
Performed by Pitbull Daycare
Written by Stephen Ladd Bishop, Charles Todd Conally and Don Van Stavern
Published by Dimension Gate Music (BMI)/FEC Music (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Cleopatra Records

User Reviews

Two strangers mysteriously wake up to find themselves in a derelict basement. Together, they find out how to escape, and if they are really strangers...

I have utmost respect for Wan. To my knowledge, he and his buddies were right out of film school. Instead of slowly building status by making mediocre films, he showed the world right from the get-go that he had something to prove.

Along with Silence Of The Lambs, Saw is the only horror movie that truly chills me. You see, I am not easily frightened by gratuitous bloodshed and screams that you might see in films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The plot has to be coherent, and there can't be anything ridiculous like a monster. Saw evokes strong emotions of terror and fear, all the while remaining plausible. Well, the story is actually unlikely, but everything in the film is physically possible.

The scenes that are meant to be frightening don't require things that jump out at you every two seconds, or cheesy orchestral flailings. The situation is what frightens you, not the presentation. Saw does have some second-rate acting, but then again it is a low-budget film and I suppose they couldn't exactly afford Robert De Niro. The script is not fantastic, but one true redeeming quality of the whole film is the story. It is dense, complex, but so captivating. I can only think of a few mystery plot lines that can even compare to this one. The Usual Suspects is probably up there, but Saw stands alone.

I strongly recommend this film who appreciate good stories, and aren't easily scared by the garbage you see in theaters like House Of Wax. For people who get squeamish, steer clear of this film. It is very nice graphic, and very sadistic at times. A brilliant debut, and a terrifying ride. 9/10.