a review of the film as an effective scary/horror movie

Rating: 5/10 (4 November 2004)

The release of saw brought chills and twists to the big screen. The film begins with two men chained up in a dingy room with a dead man lying between them. The movie then continues on through a series of flashbacks as the men try to find a way to escape. In Saw the murderous tyrant comes off more as a game master rather than a blade swinging slasher. This killer puts his victims in situations where escape is possible but only through severe sacrifice. Such as crawling through razor sharp wire or cutting through a man's stomach. The scenes that take place are both visually and mentally disturbing. The gore factor in Saw also makes use of the viewer's imagination. For example the act of sawing into a man is not visually demonstrated but is alluded to through blood splattering and camera framing.
This technique can make violent scenes even more gory and atrocious. Another disturbing aspect about saw is the dreadful performances given by most of the actors. Even though the characters do have their good moments, most of the time they are overly dramatic and barely seem to show real emotion. Another disruptive aspect of Saw is its failure to maintain continuity between different camera shots. For example items may not be found where they were left or actors will be positioned differently form shot to shot. Amateur mistakes like these can pull the audience out of the movie making it less scary. Luckily what Saw lacks in acting and technical skill it makes up for in creative story line and style. This will make a good rental for those nights when a movie that is a little scary and disturbing is desired.