One of the very first horror movies I actually enjoyed, Saw was one I also viewed at quite a young age. It was brought home by my brother, we watched it as a family, and then I realized I wasn’t entirely scared. That was when I was about 11 or 12. The next Saw movie came out and I saw it in theaters, the third one I snuck into, and the 4-6th I saw on DVD. I closed it out by seeing the final film in theaters, and though the films aren’t exactly masterpieces, they are certainly a lot of fun.
The first Saw probably did not have too much faith in itself because while it did leave itself open for a sequel, it ended strongly enough that it could have been a standalone film. Six sequels later and the plot got complex, the traps got gorier, and the acting and story got worse. The first one had a fantastic cast. Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride), Danny Glover, Ben Emerson, Monica Potter, and of course Tobin Bell as Jigsaw.
The movie takes place mostly in one room. There are the cops who are trying to figure out what exactly is going on and then there is the family of Elwes’ character. What I love about the first Saw is how tense it gets. You do not know what is going on and why they are there, something that is pretty well known in the sequels, and this trap is just so plain and basic.
Saw was an indie horror movie, much like most other great horror movies where the first was is technically the best. Sure people have their favorites, but no other one in the series would ever be as revolutionary as the first.
If you haven’t seen Saw, can handle a bit of gore, and are looking for a superb horror film, then you should probably get on it and go check it out
Raging Film 