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Saw

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Saw (2004)

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Reviews Counted:158

Fresh:74

Rotten:84

Average Rating:5.4/10

Consensus: A twisted and gory horror film that's not for the squeamish.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong grisly violence and language

Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Theatrical Release:Oct 29, 2004 Wide

Box Office: $55,153,403

Synopsis: How far would you go to save your own life? Prepare yourself for a gut-wrenching trip into the heart of terror with SAW, Lions Gate Films’ gripping horror film starring Cary Elwes, Danny Glover,... How far would you go to save your own life? Prepare yourself for a gut-wrenching trip into the heart of terror with SAW, Lions Gate Films’ gripping horror film starring Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter and Leigh Whannell. Obsessed with teaching his victims the value of life, a deranged, sadistic serial killer is abducting morally wayward people and forcing them to play macabre games for their own survival. Faced with impossible choices, each victim must struggle to win back his/her life, or else die trying… A young man named Adam (LEIGH WHANNELL) wakes to find himself chained to a rusty pipe inside a decrepit subterranean chamber. Chained to the opposite side of the room is another bewildered captive, Dr. Lawrence Gordon (CARY ELWES). Between them is a dead man lying in a pool of blood, holding a .38 in his hand. Neither man knows why he has been abducted, but instructions left on a microcassette order Dr. Gordon to kill Adam within eight hours. If he fails to do so, then both men will die; Dr. Gordon’s wife, Alison (MONICA POTTER), and his daughter will also be killed. Recalling a recent murder investigation by a police detective named Tapp (DANNY GLOVER), Dr. Gordon realizes he and Adam are the next victims of a psychopathic genius known only as “Jigsaw.” With only a few hours left to spare, they must unravel the elaborate puzzle of their fate in the midst of mounting terror. The killer has provided them with only a few clues and two handsaws - too weak to break their steel shackles, but strong enough to cut through flesh and bone… Gritty and terrifying, SAW is a taut, squirm-inducing film packed with moments of indelible horror. Director James Wan expertly spins this intricate tale, creating a chilling landscape of dread where nothing is quite as it seems. An edge-of-your-seat ride bristling with emotional intensity, SAW will keep you guessing until the very end. Keep the lights on; you won't sleep easily tonight. [More]

Starring: Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Monica Potter, Danny Glover

Starring: Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Monica Potter, Danny Glover, Dina Meyer, Ken Leung, Shawnee Smith, Ned Bellamy

Director: James Wan

Director: James Wan
Screenwriter: Leigh Whannell
Producer: Mark Burg, Oren Koules
Composer: Charlie Clouser
Studio: Lions Gate Films

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Release:

Feb 15, 2005

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Reviews for Saw

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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The horror genre takes a new direction using extreme violence to support a surprisingly evocative story of redemptive torture.

Full Review Source: Oscar Guy | comment Comment
10/31/09
Wesley Lovell
Wesley Lovell
Oscar Guy
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

Having lifted itself up so high in some ways, it's a shame that, in the end, the film sinks down to the level of just being another dumb horror movie.

Full Review Source: ESplatter | comment 4 Comments
01/20/09
Steve Biodrowski
Steve Biodrowski
ESplatter

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
11/20/08
Stacie Hougland
Stacie Hougland
Hollywood.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Mark Halverson
Mark Halverson
Sacramento News & Review

we all need more Glover in our lives

Full Review Source: sbs.is | comment Comment
07/05/08
Stefan Birgir Stefansson
Stefan Birgir Stefansson
sbs.is
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Newsweek | comment Comment
03/31/08
David Ansen
David Ansen
Newsweek
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment 1 Comment
12/27/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound

There is such a storm of terrible dialogue in Saw as to legitimately draw comparisons to none less than Ed Wood.

Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy | comment 3 Comments
09/27/07
Tim Brayton
Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy

Saw gets by on its mood of industrial dread.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
08/18/07
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out

Able to hold interest most of the way through, unraveling back stories that feel as if they might lead to something. But then the ending arrives.

Full Review Source: Window to the Movies | comment Comment
04/20/06
Jeffrey Chen
Jeffrey Chen
Window to the Movies

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment 1 Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine

Blood splatter antics take over and make it a tough watch for the queasy and those who still consider themselves sane.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment 5 Comments
01/26/06
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat

just another collection of horror movie cliches

Full Review Source: Draxblog Movie Reviews | comment 3 Comments
11/07/05
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
Draxblog Movie Reviews

...though Elwes has received a lot of criticism for his work here, the actor delivers a surprisingly effective performance that feels believable and appropriate...

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment 1 Comment
10/23/05
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

If the film had contained more scenes of intensity and less action, gore, twists and shocks, maybe it could have been a classic of the genre.

Full Review Source: www.kcactive.com | comment Comment
07/25/05
Uri Lessing
Uri Lessing
www.kcactive.com

The simple setup ropes us in immediately and never lets up, and some of the imagery will stick with even the most hardened viewer for days.

Full Review Source: FromTheBalcony | comment Comment
06/26/05
Bill Clark
Bill Clark
FromTheBalcony
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
all

Latest News for Saw

October 15, 2009: See Saw with Alex, Day 1: Saw
Click. Stop. Movie's over. Just saw Saw and, you know what, I'm actually looking forward to these movies supposedly becoming terrible because Saw the first remains an involving,... More...

October 12, 2009: Get Ready to See Saw with Alex
If it's Halloween, then it must be time for a new Saw. And if it's a new Saw, then it must be time to start up another Rotten Tomatoes trademark watching series. Come, join me... More...

May 08, 2008: Saw Director Cutting into Hellraiser Franchise? Opens in new window
Even though the director of SAW II-IV claims to have nothing to do with the project, insiders tell us the Weinsteins WANT HIM on the project ASAP. More...

March 13, 2008: Charlie Sheen Getting Twisted in Next Film
When you see the words "Charlie Sheen" and "torture" in the same sentence, you probably assume you're reading about Sheen career achievements like Terminal Velocity or The... More...

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