By Mylo Fisherman
It’s officially fall, so that means the Halloween season has already begun, making it the perfect time to sit back and enjoy a classic horror movie. “Saw” is the first of a nine-movie franchise making it binge-worthy.
The first “Saw” movie came out in 2004, had a budget of $1.2 million dollars, and was shot in 18 days. For the resources director, James Wan, and screenplay writer, Leigh Whannel, had available to make this movie, it was beautifully shot and very immersive. It is, however, a rated-R movie for strong violence and language, so if that is something you are not okay with I do not recommend watching this movie.
For those of you who don’t know about the “Saw” movies, the premise is that a mystery killer, given the nickname of Jigsaw, tests his victims’ will to live in dangerous games that put the players through great pain in both the physical and emotional sense. If the players do not play the games according to the rules they will die.
Through a non-linear storyline, we learn about the lives of oncologist Dr. Lawrence Gordon and photographer Adam Stanheight. In the opening scene, these two wake up in a run-down bathroom chained to the wall on opposite sides of the room with the corpse of a presumed suicide victim lying between them. As the two slowly begin to work together they realize they both have videotapes in their pocket. When the tapes are played, they learn how to escape their game. Adam is urged to fight for his life to survive the game whereas Dr. Gordon is told to kill Adam by 6 o’clock or else his wife and daughter will be killed.
Without spoiling the ending, although this movie came out 18 years ago, this is one you have to watch fully to the conclusion in order to understand the entire context of the plot. If you are in the middle of the movie and think you have a full picture of what is going on, no you don’t. The ending of each “Saw” movie leaves you wanting more to try and get some kind of just resolution. Each movie takes the original movie premise and twists it on its head progressing the storyline while being introduced to more elaborate and gruesome games along the way.
In this horror franchise, there is also a ninth movie that revolves around a copycat killer and “Saw X” is due out next October.