Perfect combination of grisly and intellectual elements

Rating: 10/10 (22 January 2019)

Despite its limited budget, the participation of numerous amateur actors and the Australian writers' first attempt at creating a script, Saw became an unexpected massive success that has sparked a total of eight entries in the franchise so far. While other popular horror franchises like Friday the 13th, Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street had their share of significant ups and downs, Saw is one of the most consistent franchises of its kind. It represents horror cinema of the new millennium like nothing else.
There are numerous reasons why this first film of the franchise is nowadays considered a contemporary classic. The bleak settings get you into the film right from the start. The plot gets increasingly complex, surprising and twisted as it keeps viewers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The acting performances are surprisingly solid and intensify the movie's grisly emotions. The sinister special effects touch a profound survival instinct in the viewer that is repulsive yet inherent. The haunting soundtrack blends in perfectly. The camera work is calm and precise as it can be interpreted as an antithesis to the highly emotional story. A particular element of this film and the franchise in general are its concise flashbacks offering important background information adding continuous depth to the story.
For those not familiar with the movie's content, the film revolves around a photographer and a doctor who get kidnapped and awake in the restroom of an abandoned building. They soon realize that they are being held prisoners but are offered clues in order to find out why they have been imprisoned and how they can find a way out. The protagonists also realize that the person behind their fate is a philosophical serial killer known as Jigsaw. Meanwhile, the wife and daughter of the doctor also get involved in this deadly game. Frustrated police officers as well as a desperate private investigator try tracking down the anonymous serial killer separately before time tuns out for the two victims.
The combination of desperate survival instinct and grisly gore elements on one side and the detailed film-making and intelligent plot on the other side make Saw completely unique. Splatter film enthusiast and supporters of intellectual psychological thrillers will be equally drawn to this film and its ensuing franchise. Saw even deserves a better reputation than it has as it's often reduced to its visually shocking elements which neglects one of the best stories one could ever witness in a horror movie. No matter what kind of cinema you prefer, you should know that Saw should be considered the type of movie you should watch at least once in your lifetime. Having hesitated a long time to give this franchise a chance because of its unjustified stereotypical reputation, I have ended up discovering a modern cinematic masterpiece and the greatest horror movie franchise ever.