Saw
Saw has become one of those movies that when announced a new sequel is coming out, you roll your eyes. Saw has spurned a ridiculous amount of films, each as elaborate as the next. The torture porn series sees blood lust reach and ultimate high and the plot twists become so insane that your head will feel it’s locked in a vice.
It is a wonder, then, that Saw is actually an independent movie picked up by Twisted Pictures after years of trying to get the script off the ground. Now, Saw not only has inspired a series of movies so unrealistically gory that you’ll be wondering why anyone goes to watch it, but it has also spawned rides across the globe, sick mazes and ridiculous merchandise and cosplay. The Saw grip on the world ended three years ago (hopefully) with Saw 3D and the series has amazed millions for those involved.
If you don’t know about Saw then the original movie centres around two men, Adam and Lawrence, locked in a dilapidated bathroom, chained at opposite ends and a dead body in the middle. When the men find a tape recorder in the middle of the room, they are soon given a series of riddles to solve and a puzzle to fix in order to save their lives. They soon realise that they are captured by hideous killer Jigsaw, a man who sets up escapable traps and orders his victims to solve them, or it will kill them. It is now up to Adam and Lawrence to safe themselves, by any means necessary.
Why is it Bad?
I’m not really saying that the initial Saw is bad but the franchise soon became a monster. While most people will be put off by the intense amount of blood and gore each movie has, Saw 1 is pretty tame to say Saw 5. That being said, it is still a graphic piece of cinema that relentlessly shows as much body parts slain as it can. Not to mention the elaboration of the traps and the scary jumps makes anyone who is a wuss turn off. It’s not necessarily bad, it just has a niche market and those who go crazy for someone sawing off an arm or so will love it. Those who like their stomach in tack after a movie will best stir clear of the whole disgusting thing.
Why is it Good?
The first Saw is actually pretty good and despite the amount of corn syrup they throw around, its a decent watch. You’ll spend the whole movie cowering behind your eyes, sure but there is a somewhat thrill of a sadistic killer with an apparent heart or the elaborate traps that you will Adam and Lawrence to escape, before the time runs out. There is genuine suspense and that grips you from the beginning. And the twist at the end. When I first watched Saw, I was only a teenager watching it over at my friends house grimacing at all the gruesome deaths. When the twist hit, me and my friend literally screamed “holy shit, that was awesome,” repeatedly. Because it was totally unexpected and mind blowing. A twist so epic that they tried to repeat it in every film and failed.
So the Saw franchise became a monster of itself and hopefully, it has been laid to rest. But the torture series still has a place in our hearts. If not for the copious amounts of red stuff and the over exaggerated plot, but for its quite good original.
TTFN
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