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Some of my favorite movies are also considered some of the best horror films and some of the best horror comedies. I love a good scare. However, I have limits and those include too much gore and human (or animal) torture. The Saw franchise seemed like those types of movies, and that would not be my thing. I have seen only one Saw movie before and it was Spiral (yes, the Chris Rock one), and I don’t think many consider it one of the best Saw movies. I have never seen any in the original series.
I was sure it would not be for me, but I like to give all movies, especially ones with many entries in a franchise, a fair chance. I can now confidently say the Saw movies are not for me. According to many fans of the franchise, the first one isn’t even nearly as gruesome as it becomes, so I know to stop on a high before traumatizing myself. I think Saw is a good movie if you enjoy these types of films; it’s just not my type of movie, but it did have a cool aspect that I really enjoyed.
Warning Saw movie spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.
The First Saw Movie Feels More Like A Mystery Thriller Than A Horror Movie
Saw is a horror movie because you can’t really have someone saw off body parts and not consider that horror. However, I do think it leaned more towards the mystery thriller realm. Much of the film focuses on figuring out what Jigsaw planned to do with Lawrence (Cary Elwes) and Adam (Leigh Whannell), and whether they could beat his game. I like that it had this aspect because I love mystery thrillers. It immediately sucked me into the film as not just a viewer but a participant. I want to know whether I can figure out what’s going on before the characters.
Unfortunately, Saw was over 20 years old when I finally watched it. Therefore, I already knew some spoilers about the film just from accidentally seeing videos that included spoilers. This meant I knew the major ending twist, but that didn’t stop me from being engaged while watching. I still knew so little about it. Heck, I didn’t even know Danny Glover and Michael Emerson were in it. The film had plenty of surprises even with the few spoilers I discovered over the years, including Jigsaw’s motives.
It Invites The Audience To Play Along
I don’t think Saw is just geared towards viewers like me, those who like to solve the mystery before the characters. I think it’s created to make the audience immediately pay attention and begin the game with Adam and Lawrence. It unites characters and the audience. We’re all trying to figure out what Jigsaw plans to do, and if there is any way to escape his devious intentions.
This kind of storytelling forces engagement from the audience and I think that’s a good thing. Film watching is often a passive experience, so it’s thrilling when one almost makes you become more of an active and reactive viewer. You’re forced to immerse yourself in the story.
I Tried To Figure Out All The Roles Of The People In Jigsaw’s Game
Saw lets you know that Jigsaw is the main villain, and definitely one of the scariest modern horror movie villains we saw in the early aughts. However, you don’t know if this madman works alone. At different points, the film makes you think various people are working with Jigsaw. You think Adam is at one point, then Tapp (Danny Glover), and we eventually learn that he’s forcing Zep (Michael Emerson) to work with him.
The film easily makes you distrust everyone. It also makes you wonder if this entire game is just about testing Lawrence. You’re also trying to figure out the person behind Jigsaw. I got tricked with a few red herrings only to discover they were not in cahoots with him. He works alone, at least in this movie.
The Saw Puzzles Intrigue Me
I wish Saw had more puzzles. You can’t have a main villain named Jigsaw and only have a few actual puzzles. I wanted to see more complex riddles and puzzles in the film. It almost felt like some potential puzzles got sacrificed to allow more character development, and not confuse the viewers or make the plot convoluted. I understand that decision and appreciate the few puzzles the film had, but it could have included more.
I also learned after seeing it that the franchise includes some video games. I hope those are full of complex puzzles because that would spark my interest in the Saw franchise.
The Setting Was Gross But Felt Like An Escape Room
The whole dirty room (including the gross toilet) is not the prettiest setting. However, it wasn’t so disgusting that you couldn’t stare at it for nearly two hours. It also had the vibe that it could double as the setting for a really complicated escape room. Smartly, someone cashed in on the Saw escape room idea and there is at least one, in Las Vegas.
Hopefully, without deadly twists. As a simple escape room concept, the setting has a lot of potential. It’s an open space room with plenty of places to hide clues without making them too obvious. It’s almost like when designing the setting, the filmmakers predicted its escape room possibilities.
I Wanted To Know If Jigsaw Would Win In The End
Look, obviously I know there are like 4,000 Saw movies. Therefore logically, Jigsaw has to win to some degree but, I also know that sometimes the main villain dies in the first film. Then in sequels, everyone pretends it never happened. Plus, one of the spoilers I knew was that Lawrence appears in multiple movies.
However, I didn’t know if he survived to appear in them or flashbacks. Therefore, the anticipation and uncertainty remained as I watched the events unfold. And, even with minor spoilers, I only knew things that happened but not how they played out in the movie. I fully committed to Saw and wanted to know how it all concluded.
I have no interest in continuing the Saw franchise and eventually understanding the lore, but I am glad I watched the first film. I get the appeal and it was an entertaining movie, just not for me.