Saw
Directed by James Wan
How much blood would you shed to stay alive?
| Released | October 1, 2004 |
| Global Box Office | $104m |
| Budget | $1.2m |
Two men wake up to find themselves shackled in a grimy, abandoned bathroom. As they struggle to comprehend their predicament, they discover a disturbing tape left behind by the sadistic mastermind known as Jigsaw. With a chilling voice and cryptic instructions, Jigsaw informs them that they must partake in a gruesome game in order to secure their freedom.
Starring Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover... Show All
- Cary Elwes - Dr. Lawrence Gordon
- Leigh Whannell - Adam Faulkner-Stanheight
- Danny Glover - David Tapp
- Monica Potter - Alison Gordon
- Ken Leung - Detective Steven Sing
- Makenzie Vega - Diana Gordon
- Michael Emerson - Zep Hindle
- Shawnee Smith - Amanda Young
- Dina Meyer - Allison Kerry
- Tobin Bell - John Kramer / Jigsaw
- Alexandra Bokyun Chun - Carla
- Mike Butters - Paul
- Paul Gutrecht - Mark
- Benito Martinez - Brett
- Ned Bellamy - Jeff Ridenhour
- Avner Garbi - Father
- Hans Raith - Detective (uncredited)
- Oren Koules - Dead Cellmate (uncredited)
Reviews
Kim Newman, Empire:
Saw, ingeniously co-scripted by Whannell and debuting director James Wan, is styled like early David Fincher and boasts an intricate structure - complex flashbacks-within-flashbacks explain how the characters have come to this crisis - and a satisfying mystery to go with its ghastly claustrophobia.
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian:
There's something impressively loathsome and extravagantly twisted about this horror-thriller.
Scott Tobias, A.V. Club:
Though dumber than a box of rocks, Saw forges ahead with the kind of conviction and energy that will keep bad-cinema junkies sitting bolt upright.
Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture:
[T]he original Saw is practically quaint compared to the rest of the series, which levels up the gore and transforms the simple starting plot into a Byzantine rat maze of interlocking and overlapping narratives… and it’s still the best.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times:
Saw is well made and acted, and does what it does about as well as it could be expected to. Horror fans may forgive its contrivances.