Saw franchise (film)
The "Saw" franchise is a highly successful horror film series created by Australian filmmakers James Wan and Leigh Whannell. It features graphic depictions of physical and psychological torture, primarily revolving around the character of John Kramer, also known as the Jigsaw Killer. The franchise began with the release of the first "Saw" film in October 2004, which grossed over $100 million worldwide despite a modest budget of $1.2 million. The films are known for their intricate traps that reflect the personal flaws of their victims, and Kramer's motive stems from a desire to make people appreciate their lives through extreme challenges.
Although the franchise has received predominantly negative reviews from critics, it has garnered a dedicated fanbase and remains financially lucrative. The series has expanded to include multiple sequels, spin-offs, and adaptations, with notable entries including "Saw VI" and "Jigsaw." The most recent film, "Saw X," was released in 2023 and has received some critical praise for its character development. Themes of moral ambiguity and the complex nature of its antagonist have contributed to the franchise's cultural impact, particularly in popularizing the horror subgenre often referred to as "torture porn."
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Saw franchise (film)
The Saw franchise is a series of horror movies that began in 2004
The Saw films and their accompanying video games and comic books make up one of the most financially successful horror franchises of all time. Despite receiving mainly negative reviews from critics, the Saw films remained lucrative at the box office.
Created by Australian filmmakers James Wan and Leigh Whannell, the series of Sawhorror films are extremely graphic in their depiction of physical and psychological torture. To help get the first Saw film financed, Wan and Whannell shot a short film in 2003 to show production companies. They took their short film, which featured the iconic “Billy” puppet seen in the films, to Lions Gate Entertainment, who gave Wan and Whannell $1.2 million to create their feature film. The first Saw film was released in October 2004 and grossed over $100 million worldwide. Only one of the initial seven Saw films, Saw VI (2009), made less than $100 million. This installment only grossed $68.2 million, which was still a financial success against its $11 million dollar budget.
The primary focus of the Saw series is the fictional Jigsaw Killer, whose real name is John Kramer (portrayed by Tobin Bell). The Jigsaw Killer abducts people and then sets them up in deadly traps that he feels reflect their personal flaws. The only way out of the traps is to undergo severe physical or psychological pain. In the films, Kramer is a former civil engineer who is suffering from an inoperable brain tumor. He survived a suicide attempt, which gave him a renewed appreciation of life. The motive for his actions is to force people into respecting their own lives through his elaborate torture traps. When people fail these tests, he cuts a puzzle piece out of their flesh, inspiring his nickname, the Jigsaw Killer. Though he dies in Saw III (2006), Kramer still appears in the subsequent films, mainly through flashbacks.
Other actors that have appeared in the Saw films include Danny Glover, Shawnee Smith, and Donnie Wahlberg. Wahlberg played the recurring character of police detective Eric Matthews in three of the Saw films.
Though the seventh film in the franchise, Saw 3D (2010), had been announced as the last, an eighth film, taking place a decade after Kramer's death, was produced and released to theaters in October 2017. Directors Michael and Peter Spierig hoped to capitalize on an increased interest in the horror genre created by innovative films such as The Conjuring (2013). While the film, Jigsaw, like its predecessors, received largely negative critical reviews, it brought in over $102 million at the box office worldwide.
In 2021, another franchise installment was released with the goal of approaching the concept in a different manner to potentially open up the series to new directions. Though the film, titled Spiral: From the Book of Saw, features Chris Rock in the starring role as well as a performance by Samuel L. Jackson, critics once again took issue with many aspects and largely agreed that it had failed to achieve its ambitious intentions. However, Kevin Greutert, who had long been involved with the series in various production capacities, directed a tenth effort, Saw X (2023), that actually earned some unusual critical praise while also performing better at the box office. In interviews, the director credited the more positive reception of this installment to aspects such as a greater focus on character development concerning Kramer.
Impact
The Saw films have received predominantly negative reviews from critics, but have been applauded by fans of the horror genre. The character of John Kramer is especially liked by fans, with many seeing him as one of the most terrifying and complex villains in contemporary horror cinema. The films popularized the horror subgenre known as “torture porn,” a term disliked by the filmmakers but one that would attract a large mainstream audience. The financially lucrative Saw films have brought graphic depictions of torture and violence to a mainstream audience.
Bibliography
Briefel, Aviva, and Sam J. Miller, editors. Horror after 9/11: World of Fear, Cinema of Terror. U of Texas P, 2011.
Derry, Charles. Dark Dreams 2.0: A Psychological History of the Modern Horror Film from the 1950s to the 21st Century. McFarland, 2009.
Fernandez, Jay A. "The Success of the 'Saw' Franchise." The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2008, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/success-saw-franchise-121268. Accessed 20 May 2019.
Gallagher, Declan. "All of the Saw Movies, Ranked." Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2023, ew.com/movies/saw-movies-ranked/. Accessed 20 Nov. 2023.
Gleiberman, Owen. Review of Jigsaw, directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig. Variety, 26 Oct. 2017, variety.com/2017/film/reviews/jigsaw-review-tobin-bell-1202600173/. Accessed 20 May 2019.
Greutert, Kevin. "'Saw X' Director Kevin Greutert on Making the Franchise's First Critically Acclaimed Film." Interview by Brian Davids. The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Oct. 2023, www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/saw-x-ending-future-1235615775/. Accessed 20 Nov. 2023.
Thompson, Simon. "Ahead of 'Jigsaw,' the Opening Weekend Box Office of Every 'Saw' Movie Ranked." Forbes, 25 Oct. 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/simonthompson/2017/10/25/ahead-of-jigsaw-the-opening-weekend-box-office-of-every-saw-movie-ranked/#291b9105918c. Accessed 20 May 2019.