Horror, visceral gut-wrenching horror

Rating: Null/10 (12 November 2019)

Saw is gory more than scary and the subsequent films in the series amp both up. To appreciate Saw in its full gory, you have to have a penchant for productions that bask in the traditions of the Grand Guignol. While most of the film relies more on psychological tension and terror, there's plenty of gut-churning, visceral violence, especially during the final 15 minutes. That's the time period when James Wan's otherwise compelling feature goes a little too far over the top, veering out of its David Fincher-inspired darkness into the realm of self-parody. There's lots of blood, plenty of hysteria, and perhaps one twist too many. On the strength of a grippingly original concept and 90 strong minutes of building action, Saw gets a recommendation, but only if you like this kind of thing. Saw bucks the horror trend towards formula storytelling and proves that enough qualities in the "plus column" can overcome a weak ending.