Your favorite film analysis podcast continues the 6th annual Shocktober marathon with James Wan’s breakout hit, Saw.
We Play a Game with Saw
In 2004, James Wan hit with a bang. The director worked with Leigh Whannell to put together one of the most important horror movies of the 2000s. With Saw as a diving board, James Wan has gone on to greater depths than anyone could have imagined—Insidious, The Conjuring, Fast 7 and the upcoming Aquaman. But, does Saw itself stand the test of time?
Saw tells the story of Adam (Whannell) and Dr. Gordon (Elwes), the latest captors of the Jigsaw Killer (Bell). The men wake in a room, tethered to the wall. Over the course of the narrative, they must work together to uncover their connection and figure out if they can win Jigsaw’s game.
For better or for worse, Saw is one of the most successful and influential horror franchises of all time. Spawning seven sequels, with the 8th entry (Jigsaw) on the way, it reframed audience expectations for horror franchises. On this week’s show, the gang discuss the history and importance of the Saw franchise. The questions of Jigsaw’s motives also come up, as well as a discussion of the film as a cultural reaction to the rise of public awareness to torture in American military tactics.
We also discuss our Favorite Resilient Prisoners and Captives in the game, and of course we render the verdict. Is this movie worthy of the shelf? Or, is it simply trash.
Listen now or not—the choice is yours.
GET IN TOUCH
If you haven’t yet, you can connect with us through our various means of social media. Also, it would mean a lot if you left a review on iTunes after you finish subscribing.
Like our page on Facebook.
Follow Us on Twitter.
Subscribe and Review us on iTunes.
Dustin Sells is studying for a PhD in Screen Studies at Oklahoma State University. Sometimes he gets some sleep. Check out Dustin’s most recently viewed films on Letterboxd @DustinSells or follow him on Twitter @dustin_sells or follow him on Twitter
