10 Horror Movies That Changed The Industry Forever

10. Saw (2004)

After ten years, the success of the original Saw is still a surprise in some ways. How did a film made with just $1.2 million go on to gross more than $100 million worldwide? Critics were divided about the story of Jigsaw and his victims, but Saw quickly gained a cult following among those who enjoyed the ingenious traps and puzzles that Jigsaw used to punish those he deemed to be unworthy of redemption. Saw may have been inventive in the way it killed its victims, but what marked the film out as truly unique was the way it took itself seriously at a time when horror had become obsessed with poking fun at itself after the success of Scream. It may be hard to remember now, but at the time of Saw's release, the gore in horror movies had become mostly tame and even teen-friendly. James Wan sought to reinvigorate the genre with blood and guts in a way that hearkened back to the video nasties of the 1980's. With each subsequent release of the Saw franchise, the violence and torture escalated, leading a new wave of horror movies that celebrated gore in the most graphic ways imaginable. Critics may have derided this new 'torture porn' trend, but hardcore fans lapped it up, encouraging studio executives to take risks on R rated movies that would never have seen the light of day just ten years previous. It's ironic that the original Saw now seems remarkably tame in hindsight when compared to subsequent releases like Hostel and A Serbian Film, but for those who still remember the first instalment fondly, a 10th anniversary screening has been scheduled for cinematic release this Halloween.