Saw (2004)

This is not a film that I ever thought I would be interested in seeing.  I only decided to watch this (on E4) because over the course of reading other blogs over the past few years I'd heard that it was very good.  I am quite happy to watch horror films, though I usually prefer those that are either particularly tense or psychological rather than any torture-porn movies that are gross for the sake of it.  For this reason I was surprised and impressed by Saw.  The story is very well thought out and executed; it quite reminded me of Tomb Raider, trying to solve puzzles!  The twist at the end was quite shocking, and completely unexpected, but I found myself wondering whether it was really likely.

The two main characters who find themselves chained by the leg to opposite walls of a grim disused bathroom are perfectly good for the film.  Both characters seem fairly likeable, then we find out their history in flashback and realise that neither are exactly saints.  The actors Leigh Whannell and Cary Elwes are both fine, nothing exceptional, but equally not awful.  A surprise casting of Danny Glover was clever and worked really well, though I did keep expecting him to keep complaining that he was getting too old for this shit!  Writer/director James Wan created an interesting modern horror which builds the mystery and tension well by putting the audience in the same situation as the victims, completely clueless as to what's going on.  Given how surprised I was with this far more psychological horror than I was expecting, I might be tempted to see a sequel or too.