Larry (Cary Elwes) and Adam (Leigh Whannell) wake up to find themselves in a stinking bathroom, their ankles chained to pipes and between them is a man lying face down on the floor in a pool of blood.  It turns out that they are being held captive by the Jigsaw, a sadistic psychopath who plays games with his victims, trying to teach them how precious their lives are by trying to take it away from them.  Larry is instructed that he has to kill Adam or the Jigsaw will murder his wife and daughter and he only has a few hours to do it.

Director, James Wan’s film (he co-wrote it with Whannell) is not for the faint-hearted.  This is horror in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre vein, but there are few laughs to be had here, just suffering, fear, grime and a lot of gore.  Entertainment, as such, this is not, but it does have some clever plot devices that will keep the audience watching, albeit behind their fingers and boxes of popcorn.

(3½/5)

Release Date: 21 February 2005

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Saw