Back-to-Basics

Rating: 8/10 (31 October 2005)

Nasty, sadistic, and thoroughly entertaining piece of trash carried out with genuine skill and bravado. The return of the original cinematographer and editor bring a degree of consistency to the look of the movie, and the young Bousman manages to hold the whole thing together, keeping both the story and the direction tight and focused, admirably avoiding those annoying WTF moments that plague low-budget horror movies.
As in the first 'Saw', the acting is not the film's strong point, with Wahlburg in particular really struggling to bring any degree of depth or variety to the character of a confused, angry and conflicted father. Similarly, Franky G's knuckle-dragging macho-bullshit routine, while starting out true to character, soon becomes tedious and repetitive. The rest of the cast are merely adequate, but Bell is a standout; bringing a surprising level of menace and credibility to a serial killer that could easily become laughable.
There is an oddly compelling and original idea at the heart of these films, namely that they are serial killer/slasher film in which the killer never actually encounters his victims. Each death is the victim's choice, the result of either not following the rules, or simply not wanting to live badly enough. Despite the unrelenting violence, and hard-R content, they contain just enough intelligence and moral questioning to keep them interesting and thought-provoking. As such, both movies are far above any original horror movies in recent years, and unless destroyed by cynical studio chiefs, has the potential to become a long running, successful, and highly lucrative franchise.