SAW REVIEW!!! (THE FIRST MOVIE IS STILL THE BEST IN THIS FRANCHISE)
- Matt Palmer
- Oct 19, 2023
- 3 min read
Initial release date: October 29, 2004
Studios: Lions Gate/Twisted Pictures
Tagline: Let the games begin!
Live or die. Make your choice.
Plot: Photographer Adam and Dr. Lawrence Gordon regain consciousness while chained to pipes at either end of a rundown bathroom. As the two men realize they've been trapped by a sadistic serial killer nicknamed "Jigsaw" and must complete his perverse puzzle to live, flashbacks relate the fates of his previous victims.
Cast
Leigh Whannell - Adam
Cary Elwes - Dr. Gordon
Danny Glover - Detective David Tapp
Ken Leung - Detective Steven Sing
Dina Meyer - Kerry
Mike Butters - Paul
Paul Gutrecht - Mark
Michael Imerson - Zep Hindle
Shawnee Smith - Amanda
Mckenzie Vega - Diana Gordon
Monica Potter - Alison Gordon
Tobin Bell - John Kramer
Writer: Leigh Whannell (Insidious: The Red Door; The Invisible Man)
Director: James Wan (upcoming Aquaman 2; Malignant)
Rated R for strong grisly violence and language (103 minutes)
Out of the movies in the Saw franchise, the first movie will always be the absolute best in my opinion. Sure, the quality of the movies dipped after Saw III and the Spiral spin-off wasn't the best ... it was just OK. So, with the recent release of Saw X (which I will be working on the review soon), I gave the first movie another look - and it turns 20 NEXT YEAR!
The 2004 movie definitely delivers the suspense and the intensity. This movie shows that a thrilling movie can still be done on a really low budget. One thing I really enjoyed about this installment is that it's more of a psychological mystery and not a complete gore-fest like the other sequels.
After having watched this movie many times over the years, you get to notice more hints of this movie's big twist. And, let's talk about that twist real quick. The ending reveal is still not only one of the best twists in the franchise, but also one of the best twists ever overall! If you have seen the movie, let me know your thoughts! I didn't want to spoil the twists here just in case someone hasn't seen it!!
What is your favorite entry of this series? And catch my Saw X review next week and see the latest Saw movie (which is actually pretty decent) at the Dietrich!!
Here are some fun tidbits about the 2004 movie Saw!
In order to make the actors feel what the characters were going through, all of the bathroom scenes were shot in chronological order.
The movie was filmed in only 18 days.
Director James Wan wanted the camera movements to reflect the two main characters' emotions and personality. He filmed Gordon with steady controlled shots and Adam as handheld shots to capture their emotions of the situation.
Wan took a gamble and took no upfront salary and opted for a percentage instead.
Saw II was approved for production the weekend this movie opened.
Jigsaw's puppet was completely made from scratch by the movie's creators.
The movie originally was intended for a straight to video release. After positive screenings, it was given the nod to become a theatrical release.
Danny Glover completed all of his scenes in two days.
The car chase towards the end was filmed in a garage of a warehouse by turning off the lights, adding some fog, and shaking the cars while filming from the front.
Sundance showed the NC-17 uncut version. The theatrical R-rated version was cut and more finessed, and the sound and colors were evened.
After finishing film school, Wan and Whannell wanted to write and fund a film. The inspiration that they needed came after watching the low budget indie The Blair Witch Project. Another film that inspired them to finance a film themselves was Darren Aronofsky's Pi.
Lionsgate picked up Saw's worldwide distribution rights at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival days before it premiered on January 19, 2004. There it played to a packed theater for three midnight showings to a positive reaction.
Saw opened at No. 3 on Halloween weekend 2004 in 2,315 theaters and grossed $18.2 million, behind Ray and The Grudge. The movie came to gross $55.1 million domestic and $47.9 million in other markets for a worldwide total of $103 million.
Comments