Ranking What Was Really The Best Horror Movie Every Year 1990-2021
18. 2004: Saw
The first part of the madly popular Saw franchise remains its crowning achievement, thanks in equal measure to its minimalist structure and genuinely disturbing twist.
Directed by James Wan, Saw lacks the increased gore of its violent sequels, instead opting for a more psychological approach to create its horrific tension.
As bleak as it is, it's hard to argue with the results of Saw's vision, and not grow uncomfortable thinking about how far you'd be willing to go to survive the torment of Jigsaw (Tobin Bell).