"I Want To Play A Game"

Rating: 8/10 (6 April 2015)

In 'SAW' a twisted killer makes up his own games for people whom he believes do not appreciate their lives. The mysterious Adam and strange Doctor Gordon must work together, if they are to escape a test of their own, before their time expires.
'SAW' is a franchise that has had its day. The sequels failed to understand what the original did effectively. This was the lack or somewhat lack of gore, as opposed to the sequels that rely on gore for shock value. It instead goes for a mysterious thriller vibe, with an effective villain, you can even understand his reasons for doing what he does. Not that that entitles him to do the acts of violence he commits, just he makes some sense, even if his methods are questionable at best.
The first 'SAW' is by far the most original of the bunch and offers scares and creepiness as well as being the only one that is really worth watching. Think of it as 'Se7en' turned up to 11. This is both good and bad. It allows for more gory detail, but has less character nuances. It still provides however, some great thrills without the use of jump scares. Ignore the sequels and stick to the unrelenting original, as they are with a few exceptions, poorly made. In the first instalment there is gore, but not an overwhelming amount. What impresses most is the acting for this genre which is good, when one considers the meagre budget of a million dollars spent on the film. The music is not cheap and is the one thing you cannot fault the film for, whether you love it or hate it. I consider myself in the former camp. Although the film is not flawless, as some of the events are a little far-fetched, at least you can never guess the many twists and turns along the way! The ending will leave you mesmerized.
It is a testament to the original and how much I value it as a horror film, that I will re watch it on a regular basis, regardless of whether it is Halloween or not; whilst this is no 'The Thing' or 'The Shining', 'SAW' achieves what it sets out to do, in the best possible way, without an over reliance on bland characters, cheap scares or boring villains. It was never going to be a masterpiece, but 'SAW' can claim to be one of the most effective and original Horrors of the 2000s. The fact that it can still bring in new audiences to this day, speaks volumes about how frightening the first one really is.
So settle in for a great little horror, which unfortunately gave birth to a franchise. Maybe it should stay dead, like Jigsaw's many victims. Just pretend the first instalment is the only one in existence, which is how I manage to sleep at night.