I don't know what's most impressive about Saw: that it's director James Wan first feature film, that is was shot in only 18 days, or that Tobin Bell lay on the floor motionless for 6 days. Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed Saw. Or should I say, I'm glad I saw it. Hyuck hyuck. Anyway, Saw is the story of two men, Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) and Adam (co-writer Leigh Whannell), who wake up in a large bathroom, chained to opposite ends, with a dead man in the middle, lying in a pool of his own blood. We quickly learn from Dr. Gordon that the man who has placed them here is a serial killer, a sadistic man who enjoys placing people in a situation where they are forced to do something repulsive, repugnant, even terrifying, to survive. In this case, Adam is simply told he should try to survive, while Gordon is instructed to kill Adam within 8 hours, or his wife and daughter will be killed.

Throughout the movie, Wan skillfully jumps from past to present, allowing Gordon to tell us about the history of the so-called Jigsaw Killer. Each grisly murder is more gruesome than the last, the tales of the dead only overshadowed by the story of the one survivor. Elwes once again proves he can play any role, be it parody, drama, thriller, et al. The supporting cast is all great, from Danny Glover playing (shockingly) a detective, Shawnee Smith's troubled survivor, to Monica Potter (Boston Public) as Gordon's wife. If you can stomach a little gore, this is definitely a must-see movie.

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

Director: James Wan

Released: 2004

Time: 100m / 1 hour and 40 min.