In an age of "slasher" films with weak story lines, Saw stands above the rest

Rating: 8/10 (27 May 2008)

In an age where the common goal of horror-movie creators is to achieve the most gruesome and disturbing scenes, Saw is a wonderful breath of fresh air. Although there may be a few scenes that may make the viewer turn their head away, the movie stands out due to the exceptional story and structure.
The movie delivers right from the beginning when a man (Adam) wakes up in a bath tub and chained to a wall in a small, grimy bathroom that help set the tone. From that point, the audience is immediately swept up in the fear and suspense of the movie. After getting out of the tub, Adam discovers he has a cell mate (Lawrence). They realize they are part of a game of a serial killer who gets his victims to kill themselves. The rest of the story combines interaction between the two, following the cops trying to find the killer, and flashbacks to try and discover who is doing this and how to escape.
After many years full of "slasher" movies with no intriguing plot line, Saw stands out with one of the most original ideas. The Jigsaw Killer creates traps where the victims have the choice to live or die, and the trap usually reflects the reason why they are put in the trap. The catch is that they must sacrifice something in order to save themselves.
Despite being James Wan's directorial debut, he delivers with flying colors. A lack of establishing shots gives the audience a very claustrophobic feel to help convey the feelings of the characters. Wan's most amazing accomplishment is that he created this film in 18 days on a budget of about $1.2 million. The actors also did a phenomenal job, especially considering the fact that they had no rehearsal takes.
The movie actually can be regarded more as a suspense film than a horror movie, and it will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Make sure to focus all your attention to the movie for the 103 minutes because it will keep you guessing right to the very end. The finale provides a shocking twist that I believe ranks right up there with Citizen Kane and Sixth Sense.