31 Days of Horror: Saw (2004)

Where to begin. Back in 2004, general audiences {myself included} had never seen anything like it. Saw pushes the envelope in many ways; it is an original. An efficiently crafted movie, Saw takes the viewing public places we didn't want to go. It pushes the characters {and the viewers} to face seemingly simple dilemmas with catastrophic results.

From the opening moments, you are gripped by intrigue and apprehension. Anyone who wakes up chained in an decidedly disgusting bathroom would be. Adam (Leigh Whannell) and Dr. Gordon (Cary Elwes) are abducted by a serial killer known as 'Jigsaw' and find themselves as players in his demented game.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record--how many times have I said something works on different levels?-- Saw examines fear in a fresh, captivating manner.

We have an ingenious killer who takes all the time in the world to plot the demise of his victims. An unknown killer represented by a debauched puppet. A killer that communicates with clues {obvious ones, in retrospect}. This killer brings a sick compassion to the table, allowing each victim a choice. This killer shows each victim the enemy and clearly it is us.

Elwes and Whannell are surprisingly effective in the dank prison. As each tries to rise to the occasion--out thinking or plotting--it's like a demented episode of Survivor.

I'm losing focus. Saw maintains a gritty aesthetic that serves a two-fold purpose. It highlights the raw emotion felt by characters and viewers alike, but it also becomes a character in itself. It's ridiculously simple, if you think about it.

Everything about Saw keeps us puzzled to the end. Sure Saw is riddled with gore and self-inflicted violence, but it also takes on a psychological tone that really delivers with it's ever-turning plot lines.

I've rambled on to ultimately say this: Saw is remarkable for what it is not. It doesn't settle. It treats the audience with respect--it asks more out of the viewer than most and refuses to give an inch while we cringe and groan on the edge of our seat.