10 Truly Terrible Movies That Fanboys Insist Are Awesome

9. Saw

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9 years and 200 sequels later, it€™s easy to forget that the original Saw was touted as the 21st century€™s answer to Seven (which, in my book, is by far the best and most sadistic serial killer movie in existence). I give Saw credit for having a clever premise, a memorably diabolical villain, and a fun (if illogical) twist ending, but the majority of this surprise hit is downright laughable. Not every horror movie requires nuanced acting to succeed, but it was painful to watch Danny Glover and Cary Elwes embarrass themselves in what are probably their worst performances to date (and yes, I€™ve seen the live action Jungle Book movie). Spastic editing and other unfortunate directorial decisions constantly undermine even conceptually effective sequences (like the backstory of the survivor who had to dig a key out of a cellmate€™s stomach to escape death). This is an ugly, cheap, over-the-top splatterfest that nonetheless became a goldmine and spawned the unfortunate subgenre of torture porn. At least they€™re not making any more sequels.
Contributor
Contributor

I recently received an MFA in screenwriting from the University of Texas-Austin, and I am a rabid fan of all things cinema. As much as I love movies, I might be starting to love TV even more thanks to shows like Breaking Bad, The Wire, and Game of Thrones. Currently I write and cohost a blog/podcast called Reel Fanatics. I'm from the Midwest, so I'm obligated to be obsessed with the Green Bay Packers. I'm also a direct descendant of the mountain man Jim Bridger. You can also follow me on Twitter - @ballsdontread.