Overview
Two men trapped in a deadly game must confront their darkest fears to survive.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- oppressive
- paranoid
- visceral
- late night horror marathon
- halloween viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film inventive and occasionally terrifying but derivative, convoluted, and uneven in execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Adam and Dr. Lawrence Gordon are chained at opposite ends of a filthy bathroom while a timed threat governs every action.
Jigsaw constructs lethal scenarios that he presents as lessons about the value of life.
Detective Tapp's investigation and related recollections progressively explain the bathroom crisis and Jigsaw's pattern.
The decaying bathroom, stark shadows, chained bodies, and improvised trap mechanisms define the film's visual identity.
Films like Saw, and why
Cube
Shares a claustrophobic trap scenario, escalating moral tests, and gruesome puzzle-box horror.
Se7en
Combines a serial-killer investigation with grim psychological manipulation and investigative flashbacks.
The Collector
Features abducted people forced through lethal trials by an unseen manipulator.
Hostel
Uses elaborate death traps, sadistic games, and a mystery-driven horror structure.
Movie Details
- Director
- James Wan
- Release Date
- 2004-10-01
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (10365)
Cast
- Leigh Whannell
- Cary Elwes
- Tobin Bell
- Danny Glover
- Ken Leung
- Dina Meyer
- Mike Butters
- Paul Gutrecht
- Michael Emerson
- Benito Martinez
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Saw about?
- Two strangers chained in a decaying bathroom must decode a sadistic killer’s rules before his lethal experiment reaches its deadline.
- What is Saw like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Saw as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Saw violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Saw as graphic.
- What did critics think of Saw?
- Critics broadly found the film inventive and occasionally terrifying but derivative, convoluted, and uneven in execution.
- Which films are like Saw?
- Films with a similar feel include Cube, Se7en, The Collector, and Hostel.
- How long is Saw?
- Saw runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch Saw?
- In United States, Saw streams on MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel.
