First-time director James Wan's indie thriller Saw is a smart and creepy film.  Relying on only a few sets and key characters, it manages to make you rethink your entire life and creep you out immensely. 

Most of the action takes place inside a small decayed bathroom, where our protagonists, Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) and Adam (Leigh Whannell), who also wrote the screenplay and co-wrote the story) awaken to find themselves chained to a pipe with no explanation.  After the initial shock of waking up in a strange place, they discover a dead man lying in the floor with a gun in his hand and his head blown off.  Soon after that, Adam finds a tape in his pocket, and they start to realize what’s happened. 

Dr. Gordon and Adam have been kidnapped by the elusive Jigsaw killer, given the name because he leaves a calling card in the form of a branded jigsaw piece on his victims.  Jigsaw is a clever killer: he never actually kills anyone himself, instead causing his victims to hurt themselves or others in order to teach them to value human life.  One of the two men has to kill the other before a certain time, or Dr. Gordon’s wife (Monica Potter) and child who have been taken hostage by the killer will die.

Through flashbacks we are shown some of Jigsaw’s past victims.  There, we meet Amanda, a former drug user who fell victim to Jigsaw’s game and became the only survivor.  Jigsaw placed a mask on her head which was wired into her jaw, with a timer on it. On the floor next to her is a man with the key in his stomach.  Her jaw would be ripped open in a matter of seconds unless she got the key.  So what’s a desperate person to do but chop the guy’s stomach open and retrieve the key?  At this point in the film, we already know Amanda survives.  Therein lays one of the most glaring problems with the film: a thriller is supposed to be suspenseful, and while for the most part this movie works, problems arise from the flashback scenes, which tend to lack a thrilling / suspenseful feel. 

There's not much else as far as flaws go.  The acting is good, with some performances (namely that of Elwes, as well as Danny Glover's performance as the detective on Jigsaw's trail who is slowly descending into madness) bordering on great.  Monica Potter does an okay job as Dr. Gordon's neglected wife.

With movies in which the actors are confined to only a few key sets, there is need for scenery that is well-constructed or interesting to look at. This movie succeeds at that.  The bathroom is an acting set piece in itself. You learn just as many things from what’s hidden in the bathroom as you do from what’s hidden inside the minds of the characters.  That particular set is awesome to look at despite its grittiness.  The stark white of the tile stands out against the generally dark and bleak feel of the film, and almost seems even more desolate than the more dilapidated parts of the scenery.  This sullied white is broken only by a few bursts of graffiti on the walls, leading to an overall feel of desolation as well as the promise of a few hidden surprises.  You just know that things are hidden in that place that you’ll discover later in the movie. The streets are dark and dreary, fitting with the tone of the movie.  Even the few scenes in Dr. Gordon’s home seem oddly cold and confining. 

Jigsaw himself is an enigma throughout much of the film, with few hints given as to his motives or his identity.  The idea seems to be less of a ‘whodunit?’ though, and more of a thoughtful introspective of the motives of EVERYONE in life.  If you’re looking for just a mystery movie, this is probably not for you, though the twist is interesting. 

I won’t reveal anything here but suffice it to say this was one of the most interesting and well-done final plot twists I’ve seen in a movie.  It makes sense and though it may leave a few plot holes, those could be explained away by other events in the film (and by the later short film which was released as part of the DVD.) 

The music in this film is also great, alternating from short bursts of moody rock, to a final score which will remain stuck in your head for hours after you’ve stopped watching. 

James Wan has proven himself a good director.  He clearly loves horror movies, and a lot of influences from earlier films are noticeable. Most of the film is dark, gritty, and dirty and that’s how it should be.  I do have one gripe, and that’s the jump cuts he uses a few times.  Those are completely unnecessary and take away from the impact of the intensity and the gore.  And there is lots of gore. Another thing I liked about Saw was its use of gore.  It’s as over-the-top as everyone is saying, but there aren’t an excessive amount of gory scenes or senseless and pointless murders just for shock value.  It’s used sparingly and that’s what made it so disturbing.  It seemed more real, or likely. 

The script is solid, with Jigsaw delivering the best lines, through audio tapes and flashbacks. 

Most importantly, this is one creepy film. It’s not only scary because of what happens onscreen, but because it’s psychological in nature. There are NO cheap scares using loud music. You will be thinking about its implications for hours after viewing. It forces its way into your head and stays there for a long time.