“Live or die. Make your choice.”
Story: Two guys wake up chained to pipes in a busted old bathroom. (That I’d still kill for, because HUGE.) They see a third guy lying on the floor in a pool of blood, with a gun in his hand. Then the creepiest mixtape ever tells them that they’ve got 60 minutes to get out of there, or it’s asta. Should be a piece of cake. Especially with those two small hacksaws they’ve been given…
Scares: Genuine suspenseful shit going down here, people.
Splat factor: YES. But not as much as future installments, and not as much as you think you see.
Closing scene “shocker”?: Aww yeah baby. And for a rare instance, it’s an A+ doozy.
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Start of the seven film (soon to be eight+) Saw franchise.
Trick or Treat?: I can’t believe I haven’t thrown Saw into the ol’ 31 pile yet. But I haven’t, so here goes. I re-watched it this week, and couldn’t believe how much I still enjoyed it. And by “enjoy” I mean “squirmed in my seat, holding my pillow so tightly I probably should have bought it dinner first”. That doesn’t happen to me very often, so when it does, I applaud.
As horror meister James Wan’s (The Conjuring, Insidious) Hollywood film debut, it’s a nail-biting mix of horror, suspense, cop-show drama, and mystery. Plus, that end twist is one even my hateful self can’t help but adore. It’s a punch to the gut, and even now when I see it I’m torn between shock, awe, and applause.
Are a few scenes a bit wobbly, and some of the Machina a bit too Deus? Sure. But I’ll take a movie that delivers solid scares over a slew of perfectly plotted yawnfests. Gory yes. But It’s a horror hound must-see.
Score: 4.5 out of 5 pumpkins.