First things first: Is the original Saw a perfect film? No. Like its successors, its riddled with holes and illogical moments, but what sets it apart and makes those issues forgivable is in its execution. Nearly a decade on, Saw is still a tense horror classic deserving of its spot in the genre despite the "torture porn" label that its sequels would retroactively earn it. While the series would go on to be known for its gory nature, violent traps and improbable situations, the original film is a rather modest affair, embracing the idea of less is more to craft a story more mystery/thriller than an outright horror piece. Watching Adam and Dr. Gordon attempt to piece together the circumstances of their imprisonment in the series' infamous bathroom while simultaneously figuring out how to avoid the bottom line of Jigsaw's game is far more rewarding than seeing characters stuck in clearly inescapable conditions and traps solely to see them die. From Jigsaw himself to Billy the puppet, the closing "Hello Zepp" theme by Charlie Clouser to the big finale twist -- a moment that continues to make watching the film with someone who's never seen it all the more entertaining -- and even the gritty texture of the film itself, Saw introduced to horror fans the world over a whole handful of recognizable ingredients that would lay down a template the rest of the series would attempt to recreate and expand upon to varying degrees of success. If anything, the low budget film marked one hell of an entrance for the director/writer duo of James Wan and Leigh Whannell. With the re-release of the film set for Halloween, new fans are bound to be made while old ones will be reminded why the series ever took off in the first place. Though the franchise otherwise remains dormant for the time being, it's hard to believe that it will stay that way forever. Hopefully, whenever Lionsgate decides to pick up where it left off, either through the direct continuation of the series or by way of hitting the reboot button, it can take lessons away from the stronger entries to ensure that Jigsaw's next game is actually one worth playing.
Writer, film enthusiast, part-time gamer and watcher of (mostly) good television located on the fringe of Los Angeles, who now has his own website at www.highdefgeoff.com!
