20 Things You Didn't Know About Saw
17. Saw Was Dirt-Cheap To Make
Despite being one of the most lucrative horror franchises in the last 20 years, Saw has been repeatedly criticised for glorifying violence and gore. Because the films depict bones being snapped open and bodies being crushed or melted, it's easy to see how the saga has popularised the term "torture-porn". This is ironic since there isn't that much gore in the original film.
Many scenes were meant to be gorier but the production team didn't have the money to film them. The budget was a measly $1.2 million. Although the franchise is best-known for its traps, only one trap is shown in its entirety in the first film. The Razor Maze and the Flammable Jelly scenes were meant to be shown in more detail but the developers realised it would cost too much money. As a result, these scenes are mostly shown on fast-forward.
There are no exterior shots and most of the story takes place in one room due to the budget. The director, James Wan, intended to shoot the film in 2.35:1 but had to settle for 1.85:1 because it was cheaper.