The best thriller ever made.

Rating: 10/10 (9 September 2008)

I'm a huge fan of the horror and action genres, and I've seen most all of what both have to offer. Though sometimes I'd find a movie that was great, I've never once seen anything like Saw. It created its own sub-genre and it turned every cliché I've ever known on its end. Saw is one of the only perfect movies I've ever seen.
The reason Saw is original is because it takes everything you've known about standard storytelling rules and completely ignores every one. The villain is the only "good guy" you're going to see and the "good guys" are the only "bad guys" you're going to see. From that basic stance alone, I cannot name another movie like Saw. I know works of literature like A Clockwork Orange try to make bad seem good, but it's done is such a traditional way it is ridiculously predictable and nothing really that hasn't been done before. But Saw is so simple in how it twists the rules of storytelling that it is blatantly obvious and punk. The literary geeks hate this movie because it does something they said could never be done: it breaks the rules they said every story had to abide by. The critics hate this movie because it isn't a safe cliché that they have known all their lives like No Country for Old Men. The standard horror enthusiast hates this movie because it breaks every rule of a traditional horror plot ever conceived. And unlike the supposed "deep moral" movies like Battle Royale, Saw actually has moral point that you can use and a moral that isn't a redundant cliché.
As far as gore goes, it's enough to hold me over but isn't really excessive or as insane as the other movie in the series. But I think what make this an effective movie is there is no cheese like in the old slashers. This is something that could happen, and it's portrayed that way. Also, unlike every other movie like it, Saw is not only twisted but gory as well. It's almost an unspoken rule in cinema that if your movie is twisted/disturbing then you cannot show gore. I'm referring to movies like Sev7n and The Silence of the Lambstwisted, but no gore on screen. Once again, Saw breaks another rule.
But what really sells Saw is the stylish punk style. With the flash-cuts, the lighting-paced editing, the blood on screen at almost all points in the moviethis was made for the ADD generation. I'll never understand why traditionalistseven those who don't want to admit they're traditionaliststhink there has to be at least 20 minutes of pure boredom every other scene for a movie to be good. Saw is a true thrillerit doesn't give you a second to sit there and be bored into a comfort zone.
The ending plot twist is the single best plot twist of all time. I've seen a lot of plot twists, and while most of them go down the bland physiological path, or the cliché you-thought-I-was-a-good-guy-but-I'm-the-killer! stance, Saw once again uses its own plot to do a plot twist like none I've ever seen. The entire movie is deceptive, and you literally know nothing until the last 5 minutes.
I simply cannot think of a single thing wrong with Saw. I tried, but I can't. It's the most perfect thriller ever made, and one of the most original movies of the modern generation.
10/10