Terryfying

Rating: 9/10 (17 October 2005)

Unlike most modern horror films, 'Saw' left me genuinely scared after watching the film, on my own, late at night. Not the cleverest of things to do. Most horror films have scary elements, average twists, and decent plots, but I feel 'Saw' was an individual and impressively terrifying horror film. Two strangers wake up to find themselves in a disgustingly dirty and isolated bathroom. Neither knows how or why they got there, but together they are set a time limit to escape death. The film really involves the audience, and I was on the edge of my sofa throughout. Few horrors truly frighten me, but 'Saw' was an exception. The dramatic twist at the end, which I would never have anticipated, startled me and delivered immense shock, to myself and other viewers I know. The film is crammed with twists, terrifying moments, immense empathy towards the characters and disgusting amounts of extreme gore. This film is not for the faint-hearted. The characters are interesting, but the acting is not fantastic. Leigh Whannell who plays Adam, is convincing and interesting, but Cary Elwes who plays Dr Gordon is rather unrealistic and forced. 'Saw' has many similarities to 'Se7en'; the distressing planned murders, the failure of America's society, the selected victims for reasons only known to the murderer, and the obscene twist at the end. Despite the usual annoyance of these similarities, I enjoyed both films and did find them different. Both 'Saw' and 'Se7en' are incredibly successful and frightening, and truly express the horror genre. I give 'Saw' 9/10 and would recommend it to any horror fan!