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Saw
2004
When Adam (Leigh Whannell) is jolted back to consciousness after nearly drowning at the bottom of a decrepit bathtub, he awakes to find himself chained to a rusty pipe inside a dark torture chamber. There is someone else in the room. Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) has also just regained consciousness and is chained to the .. Read more
| Starring | Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Ken Leung, Dina Meyer |
|---|---|
| Director | James Wan |
| Genres | Horror, Thriller |
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Saw
When Adam (Leigh Whannell) is jolted back to consciousness after nearly drowning at the bottom of a decrepit bathtub, he awakes to find himself chained to a rusty pipe inside a dark torture chamber. There is someone else in the room. Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) has also just regained consciousness and is chained to the opposite side of the space. Between them a man is lying in a pool of blood after apparently shooting himself in the head with the pistol in his hand. Adam and Dr. Gordon piece together the clues left behind by the deranged criminal mind that has brought them together and finally realize that they, too, must make a seemingly impossible set of choices for their lives.
| Starring | Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Ken Leung, Dina Meyer, Monica Potter, Leigh Whannell |
|---|---|
| Director | James Wan |
| Studio | ENTERTAINMENT IN VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 42 mins Blu-ray: 1 hr 42 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Collections | 100 Horror Films |
| Genres | Horror, Thriller |
| Language | DVD: English Blu-ray: English |
| Released | DVD: 21 Feb 2005 Blu-ray: unknown Production year: 2004 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (5)
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It is perhaps inevitable that this unsettling debut from director James Wan will be compared with Se7en. Not only do they share similarly skewed serial-killing themes, but their style, tension and sheer viciousness put them in the same genre pigeonhole. Told, unusually, from the point of view of the victims, this well-acted thriller chillingly questions how far an individual will go to stay alive. Leigh Whannell (who also wrote the screenplay) and Cary Elwes become the latest playthings of a game-obsessed psychopath, finding themselves chained to opposite walls in a crumbling, subterranean bathroom, with no recollection of how they got there. With its jerky, grainy cinematography and nerve-jangling industrial soundtrack, the film is more disturbing than terrifying. It's like an extended Nine Inch Nails rock video as imagined by Dario Argento. However just when you think you've got it sussed, the movie throws in some audacious twists, resulting in one of the most memorable climaxes in recent screen history.
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Perhaps you enjoyed Seven. This goes up to Eight.
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Most helpful member's review
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110 out of 142 people found this review helpful
Your limbs will feel Saw.......................
I think that I have missed the point with all these people stating the similarities with se7en. It is similar in that it is dark, moody, has a very small character base and has a murderous theme. Aside from that (and be fair, they are reasonable common characteristics in a film), I fail to spot the similarities. This film is clever, concise and strings you along throughout. Not that Se7en wasn?t, but as i can?t mention specifics for fear of giving the plot away, you will have to trust me.
The acting is wooden, but in a Blair witch sort of way - I feel that it is endearing to the plot, to see people not saying their lines perfectly, or at the perfect angle to camera - I feel it makes it more of a documentary style and therefore more realistic.
There are a few licenses taken with what is likely in real life, but on the whole everything is believable, and let?s not forget that there are some very messed up people out there in the real world, so some of the stuff in this plot is not that incredible to envisage.
The start is good, as it drops you straight into the predicament that forms the remainder of the film. The middle is the most disappointing, as it tends to flit between flashbacks and real life a little too much, but the end more than makes up for things.
Without spoiling the plot, the last 30 seconds are really spine chilling and although what you see are everyday actions, you find yourself cursing your own stupidity and naivety throughout the film.
Go get this and enjoy (although you may need a cushion, or a fit bird) to hang on to at times!!! -
Most recent members' review
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Excellent Twist
A must to watch film if you like to be kept on the edge of your seat. Excellent, well worth hiring.
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News and features
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Saw V
- 28 Oct 2008
You have to give credit to the Saw team: five films in five years from a standing start, they’re fast and they’re efficient. Coming in to this hit horror franchise at this late stage is a bit like starting The Da Vinci Code on the penultimate chapter – there’s a lot of catching up to do. On the other hand, as the movie spends a lot of its 88 minute running time explaining itself, it’s by no means impossible. I’ve avoided the previous Saw movies because, well, Read more
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