"SAW" (2024) - 20 Years of Torture & Gore (RETRO REVIEW)

In 2004, “Saw” quickly became an overnight sensation, immediately becoming the new face for the Halloween season. Over the next seven years, fans would get more torture devices and victims, and just when we all thought it was over, the series was revamped in 2017’s “Jigsaw,” which led to 2021’s “Spiral,” and then “Saw X” in 2023. If that’s not enough, we can expect an eleventh installment possibly in 2025. But looking back at these films, we need to go back to that grungy bathroom where it all began, as this was the idea of two young men fresh out of film school. What they would create would change the horror genre game forever.

Waking up in a bathroom, two men, Adam ( Leigh Whannell ) and Dr. Lawrence Gordon ( Cary Elwes ), discover they have been captured by the infamous killer known as Jigsaw. The men must escape before time runs out, otherwise, they will face the deadly consequences. What follows are illusions of the belief they are getting closer to solving their plight, however, it’s revealed that Jigsaw was ten steps ahead of everyone involved in his vicious games. 

What is most impressive about the story is that actor/screenwriter Leigh Whannell knew the ending first and foremost, this vision stuck in his mind. It was later on that he needed to come up with a story on Jigsaw, why he would put those men there, and what his purpose was. Thinking from a doctor-to-patient perspective on being told you have a certain amount of time to live, Whannell ran with the idea, and soon enough had his story, with James Wan set to direct. 

When the two Australians couldn’t get their film off the ground back home, they decided to try their luck in Los Angeles. When they landed a meeting with producers, they decided to showcase their talents so that they could make a film and decided to make a short film utilizing the reverse bear trap scene with Whannell in the lead. They sent the DVD along with the screenplay, and unbeknownst to them, the producers planned on a deal with the duo while they were still in flight heading there. One of the producers even showed the short to Cary Elwes, who simply emailed back “WOW”, and immediately decided he wanted to be a part of this film, which created a waterfall / domino-effect of other A-listers to join, including Danny Glover, Shawnee Smith, and Tobin Bell. 

With a limited budget, all the pieces seemed to fall into place. An abandoned warehouse was found, and all the set pieces were able to be utilized for the entire film, including the crawl space for the barbed wire trap scene. Elwes recalls in later interviews how impressed he was with Wan, as he built the reverse bear trap and the infamous doll himself. Of course, problems came along the way, but it forced Wan to use his imagination. Once filming wrapped, he realized that there were a lot of holes throughout the film, so a few scenes he was able to shoot again with Whannell assisting (not showing his face of course), and the reason the film ended up having many photo shots is due to production shoots on set, so he simply utilized the photos to fill in the gaps of the story. 

The final result was an overnight sensation, with word of mouth from one horror fan to the next telling others about this new film they HAD to see. Of course, like any successful franchise, there came the sequels, which got a more gorier and less story-driven as it continued. It boosted the career for Wan and Whannell forever, who have become a staple in the movie industry to this day, going on to write and direct films such as Dead Silence, The Conjuring, Annabelle, Insidious, The Invisible Man, and many more. Love it or hate it, no one can deny the success that started with this film and should be remembered and celebrated for many Halloweens to come. 

Last Rites

Director: James Wan

Writer: Leigh Whannell

Starring: Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Tobin Bell, Danny Glover, Ken Leung, Dina Meyer, Michael Emerson, Shawnee Smith, Monica Potter

Where to Watch: Currently streaming on MAX & Peacock

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