Saw (2004)

This movie had a bit of trouble coming to fruition. The creators lived in Australia and tried to get it made there. Their agent told them to go to LA and pitch it. After making a short film based on one of the scenes from the film, it got support. Some of the acting was rough, but with less than 3 weeks to film, they did what they could. The story unravels in careful layers. The soundtrack and cinematography are very late 90s/early 2000s. They did a lot with the little they had and created a cult classic. Yes, this and the following movies are torture porn. That doesn’t mean they don't put a lot of effort into the story and lore. You know what to expect from this franchise. It’s violent and stressful rather than scary and that is nice to have in the horror genre. It’s definitely worth a watch if you have a strong stomach.

Story - 19%

Characters - 16%

Pacing - 17%

Spectacle - 19%

Entertainment - 17%

Total score: 88%

Grade scale:

90%-100% = must watch

80%-89% = solid, but could be better

70%-79% = Not terrible, watch if the characters or story interests you

60%-69% = only watch for completionist reasons

0%-59% = just skip it, I find the positives and they don't exist here