Saw

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. ;) (01/02/2013)

Come out and play, Mister... A whole lot for very little. You see, Saw is like FilmBooster where the room is substituted by the webpages and Jigsaw by POMO himself, who mixes everything up with his twisted sense of humor. He deploys an army of a thousand multi-accounts to stir emotions and turns users against each other. I bet now we can look forward to some final twist and tricks on ordinary people like deleting all of their scores and reviews. That would be a master stroke worthy of this atmospheric genre. (10/02/2022)

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. (01/12/2007)

This basic premise gave me not the slightest clue of what I was getting into, and without the knowledge that I would see it countless times in future installments, it was really perfect back then. The despair, the unknown, and people in a strongly oppressive environment and situation still function today. It's a shame that with Jigsaw came the tormented cliché of "I'm aiming at you, but I'll wait until you take the weapon from me", because without it, James Wan would have aimed really high. What the script loses here, it gains with the reveal. It may be problematic, full of holes, and perhaps even impossible, but it can't be taken away from it that it is truly unforgettable. It may not have been the new Se7en, but with a decade of hindsight and the presence of unbalanced sequels, the first Saw has matured into very favorable colors. (03/02/2006)

Saw is nothing by very well and effectively filmed bloodbath. James Wan is definitely not a bad director, he is original, inventive, and dynamic, and for the most part, he manages to maintain an almost lethal pace throughout the entire film. The atmosphere and excellent screenplay save a lot, but I still can't help feeling that it is just cleverly written and effectively filmed ordinary nonsense. (16/02/2005)