Does this horror cult classic live up to the hype?

Rating: 7/10 (7 May 2016)

I have finally got round to seeing Saw, one of the most popular and commercially successful horror movies of the 2000s. In Saw, 2 men wake up in an abandoned bathroom and are put through a sadistic, grisly test. While the sequels evidently ramp the gore and violence up to 11, this is a low budget movie (As is clear and not in a good way during certain scenes) which makes heavy use of just one location. Saw doesn't live up to the gore hype, but that's a good thing. It actually shows a bit of restraint. It still earns its 18 certificate though. It's a full-on, brutal and nasty horror film but here much of the horror is psychological, which makes it more effective as a whole. I rate James Wan as a director, and he directs the film pretty well even if it looks like a music video at times. The writing is a bit uneven, with plenty of bland dialogue and illogical moments while the acting really isn't great. It can feel, as a film, fairly cold and emotionless, and it takes a little while to get going. Still, Saw is a smart and twisty treat for horror fans and the famous twist ending will really get you if you don't know it (I, unfortunately, did). Saw is a pleasant surprise and an absolutely solid thriller that deserves more credit from the critics than it gets.
7/10