Saw (2003)
- Directed by
- James Wan
- Genre
- horror film, crime film, gore film
- Country
- United States
- Runtime
- 1h 43m
- Rated
- R
- Rating
- 7.4 of 10 from 10,155 voters
- Elsewhere
- IMDb
The catalogue in 3D
The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.
How it feels
Two men wake up chained in a filthy bathroom with no memory of how they got there. They discover they are victims of the Jigsaw Killer, a serial killer who forces people into deadly tests of survival. The film cuts between their struggle and the detective trying to catch Jigsaw.
tenseclaustrophobicgrimunsettlingbleakvisceraldisturbingcerebral
What happens
Saw is a 2004 American horror film directed by James Wan in his feature directorial debut, and written by Leigh Whannell, from a story by Wan and Whannell. It stars Whannell alongside Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson, and Ken Leung. The film tells a nonlinear narrative revolving around the mystery of the Jigsaw Killer, who tests his victims' will to live by putting them through deadly "games" where they must inflict great physical pain upon themselves to survive. The frame story follows Jigsaw's latest victims (Whannell and Elwes), who awaken in a large, dilapidated bathroom, with one being ordered to kill the other to save his own family. The film was originally written in 2001, but after failed attempts to get the script produced in Wan and Whannell's home country of Australia, they were urged to travel to Los Angeles. In order to help attract producers, they shot a low-budget short film of the same name from a scene out of the script. This proved successful in 2003 as producers were immediately attached and also formed a horror genre production label, Twisted Pictures. The film was given a small production budget and was shot in 18 days. Saw was first screened at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2004. Due to positive audience reception, Lions Gate Films picked up the distribution rights for the film. Originally planned for a straight-to-video release, they decided to instead release the film in theaters in North America on October 29, 2004. The film received mixed reviews from critics. After topping the opening weekend box office, the film would go on to gross $104 million worldwide to become one of the most profitable horror films since Scream (1996). The success of Saw launched a media franchise, including several sequels, video games, theme park rides, and merchandising. The first sequel, titled Saw II, was released the following year in October 2005. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)
More like this
Saw (2003)
Identity (2003)
Saw 3D (2010)
Saw II (2005)
Claustrophobia (2003)
Fate (2003)
The Scott Tibbs Documentary (2006)
Alive (2003)- More like this film, on a shelf you can walk up to.It's the lit case on the top shelf.