Disturbing and brilliant. Far superior to its sequels.

Rating: 10/10 (24 March 2012)

"Saw" has set a new standard for the horror and thriller genres. The shining centerpieces of this movie are its story and its antagonist. The plot line of this film extends far beyond the horror movies of this time, like "The Grudge" or "The Ring". The beginning mirrors the character's problem. He wakes up in a room and has absolutely no idea what is going on. We, the audience, see him almost drown in a bathtub and start wondering, "Whoa, what is happening?" From this, the plot delves into a downright sinuous and insidious story. This movie does well in its story because it does not rely on a lot of cheap jump scares. Instead, the scare scenes in this movie actually are horrifically macabre. Of course, any good story relies on it's antagonist for drive. And Jigsaw provides a truly terrifying antagonist, because he's the kind of villain who is just insane enough to believe in his actions' virtue, and yet composed and intelligent enough to actually pull them off. And then, in the last third of the movie or so, the story takes a series of unprecedented turns, each building on and outdoing the last until, at last, it all culminates in one huge twist that surely left Shyamalan burning with envy! Add in one well-composed soundtrack that feeds off of and emphasizes the gradually increasing terror, and you have a must-see for any thriller movie fan! Don't let the poorly made sequels set you off. See the original by any means!