20 Mind-Blowing Facts About The Saw Franchise

20. The Director Doesn't See The Film As A Horror

Even though Saw was a money-maker and launched a franchise, it wasn't long before critics referred to it as mere "torture-porn" or a "gore-fest". But according to the director, James Wan, and writer, Leigh Whannell, this term is completely unwarranted. Excluding the Reverse Bear Trap scene, a lot of the gore is only implied. The other trap scenes are shown in fast-forward so the gore is barely seen.

In an interview with AV Club, the filmmakers said Marathon Man and Reservoir Dogs became famous because of their torture scenes and yet, weren't painted by critics with the same brush. The later entries could be referred to as "torture-porn", but the original filmmakers insist that the first film is a mystery thriller.