SAW |

Production Company: Twisted Pictures

Studio: Lions Gate Films

Cast: Leigh Whannell as Adam, Cary Elwes as Dr. Lawrence Gordon, Danny Glover as Detective David Tapp, Ken Leung as Detective Steven Sing, Dina Meyer as Kerry, Mike Butters as Paul, Paul Gutrecht as Mark, Michael Emerson as Zep Hindle and Benito Martinez as Brett

Crew: James Wan (director and original story); Leigh Whannell (screenwriter); Gregg Hoffman, Oren Koules and Mark Burg (producer)

Synopsis:
How far would you go to save your own life? Prepare yourself for a gut-wrenching trip into the heart of terror with SAW, Lions Gate Films’ gripping psychological thriller starring Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter and Leigh Whannell. Obsessed with teaching his victims the value of life, a deranged, sadistic serial killer is abducting morally wayward people and forcing them to play horrific games for their own survival. Faced with impossible choices, each victim must struggle to win back his/her life, or else die trying…

A young man named Adam (LEIGH WHANNELL) wakes to find himself chained to a rusty pipe inside a decrepit subterranean chamber. Chained to the opposite side of the room is another bewildered captive, Dr. Lawrence Gordon (CARY ELWES). Between them is a dead man lying in a pool of blood, holding a .38 in his hand. Neither man knows why he has been abducted; but instructions left on a microcassette, order Dr. Gordon to kill Adam within eight hours. If he fails to do so, then both men will die, and Dr. Gordon’s wife, Alison (MONICA POTTER), and his daughter will be killed. Recalling a recent murder investigation by a police detective named Tapp (DANNY GLOVER), Dr. Gordon realizes he and Adam are the next victims of a psychopathic genius known only as Jigsaw. With only a few hours left to spare, they must unravel the elaborate puzzle of their fate in the midst of mounting terror. The killer has provided them with only a few clues and two handsaws, too weak to break their steel shackles, but strong enough to cut through flesh and bone…

Gritty and terrifying, SAW is a taut, squirm-inducing thriller packed with moments of indelible horror. Director James Wan expertly spins this intricate tale, creating a chilling landscape of dread where nothing is quite as it seems. An edge of your seat ride bristling with emotional intensity, SAW will keep you guessing until the very end. Keep the lights on; you won’t sleep easily tonight.

Other Info

TRIVIA

Saw was originally intended for as a straight to video release. After positive screenings, it was given a theatrical release.

Saw was originally rated NC 17, due to the film’s tone.

The film was shot in 18 days.

James Wan and Leigh Whannell shot a scene from the original script as a short film which they started passing around to film studios.

Taglines:

How much blood would you shed to stay alive.

Every piece has a puzzle.

How do you solve a puzzle with pieces missing? [Australian tagline]

Official Websites:

sawmovie.com