Very good thriller

Rating: 8/10 (24 July 2004)

This is a very strong thriller (not really a horror movie: though it has some horrific elements, I felt the movie is mostly a puzzle of who's doing what and why) and shows tons of potential for director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell. There are some very original ideas, and some stylish direction. Nothing in this movie really felt like a 'gimmick' (ex: non-linear plot, static editing) stylistically (except for maybe that puppet thing), and for the most part this is a real well made movie. The thing that is a minus about this movie, though, is the acting. Across the board the acting felt 'flat,' and didn't really sell the characters for me. It was not a huge disctraction for me, but it did take away from the film. Also, this movie has some nice plot twists, so stick with Saw until the end!
Don't give up early if you think you know what's going on and become disappointed with what you think is an obvious 'twist.' I did that early on, set myself up for a disappointment, and then my jaw dropped at the end. The ending makes this a real good movie. I recommend Saw, and will see it again when it opens Sept. 17