This blog post examines the messages about life’s values and human nature conveyed through the closed rooms, twists, and suffering in the movie Saw.
What kind of movie is ‘Saw’?
‘Saw’ is a series that has produced a total of 10 films, including 3D versions. To be honest, categorizing it as a mainstream film might be a stretch; it’s more accurately classified as a B-movie. I don’t consider the Saw films themselves to be extraordinary, brilliant works, or textbook examples of the thriller genre. I believe the Saw films capture the most primal essence of the thriller genre. ‘Saw’ is a raw film that takes all the elements and conventions the ‘thriller’ genre can possess and follows them in a very typical way. That’s why it feels rough and unpolished.
What is the central point?
First, I want to identify the conventions of thriller films present in ‘Saw’. In a way, ‘Saw’ is a collection of such conventions from start to finish. Some of these conventions originate from other early thriller films, while others stem from detective novels. All are transformations of archetypes. But should we simply discuss the conventions of thriller films observable through ‘Saw’? If so, this analysis needn’t have focused on ‘Saw’. Many other films showcase these conventions well. I believe ‘Saw’ possesses a unique pleasure distinct from these conventions, one that is specific to the film ‘Saw’. That is why it became such a sensation upon release and will likely remain a topic of discussion when people talk about thriller films even now. Therefore, I have set the central argument as follows.
“The film Saw follows the conventions of the typical thriller genre. Within that framework, what is the genre-specific pleasure unique to Saw?”
The very typical thriller conventions found in ‘Saw’
‘Saw’ possesses the very typical conventions of the thriller genre, exactly as stated in the central thesis above. Let’s identify the representative ones among those conventions. Only then can we understand the unique appeal of ‘Saw’.
Twist
One day, somewhere, a murder occurs. The protagonists begin struggling to uncover the culprit. Meanwhile, the murders gradually increase one by one, while the identity of the killer becomes increasingly obscure. Then, they discover a clue. Using that clue, the protagonists finally identify the murderer. However, the killer turns out to be someone else entirely.
The story above follows the typical progression pattern of a thriller movie featuring murder—something we’ve seen endlessly in novels, dramas, movies, or anywhere else. It’s so repetitive it’s tiresome, so commonplace you think, “What, this again?” Now, focus on the part written in bold at the end. That bold section is the twist.
Twists are an excellent tool for drawing audiences into thriller films. Typically, viewers feel as if they’ve become the protagonist themselves while watching a thriller. They ponder alongside the lead character, wondering who the culprit is, and track down the killer. It’s as if the audience and the film are playing a game. Then, through this twist, when a completely unexpected person emerges as the culprit, the audience experiences the thrill of surprise and disillusionment that the twist delivers.
That’s why audiences love films with hidden twists. At some point, viewers began focusing more on ‘deducing’ the hidden story within the narrative than on the film’s plot progression itself. This deduction became a key criterion for judging thrillers. If the twist ending was predictable, the film was deemed mediocre; conversely, if it was overly convoluted, it was dismissed as nonsensical.
‘Saw’ also features such a twist: ‘Jeff, who seemed to be the killer, was merely the puppet of the real killer, who turned out to be John, whom everyone thought was a corpse.’ Initially, Jeff, a nursing assistant at Gordon Hospital, was identified as the killer. However, any audience familiar with thriller conventions would have never suspected Jeff as the real culprit when his identity was revealed. Naturally, Jeff is merely a decoy to mislead the audience. This trick of prominently featuring a suspect to conceal the real culprit is a common convention in thriller films, much like the case of Detective Rose in the movie ‘Identity’. And the setup where the corpse believed to be the killer turns out to be the victim is also one of the conventions that began with Judge Wargrave being the killer in Agatha Christie’s masterpiece, And Then There Were None.
The locked room
is another indispensable device in thriller films. Yes, the locked room.
The protagonists are trapped within a single space. And because of a raging storm outside (a natural reason) or a locked door (an artificial reason), they absolutely cannot escape. Inside, a game orchestrated by the culprit unfolds. Now, the protagonists must play that game. And they must figure out who the culprit is.
A closed space is an excellent device to use in thrillers. It creates a situation where the characters have nowhere to escape, pushing them to the extreme. By focusing solely on a limited number of characters, it enhances understanding and concentration on them. Furthermore, the limited props and clues make it possible to create a tighter, more plausible structure.
Within the confines set by the killer, the protagonists proceed with their game, suspecting each other. Characters in ‘And Then There Were None’ were trapped on Indian Island by a storm, those in ‘Identity’ were stranded in a remote motel by another storm, the protagonist in ‘Phone Booth’ was confined to a telephone booth, and the characters in ‘Cube’ faced a murderous cube device. All endured such isolation.
Of course, the games played with the killer inside the closed room differ. In ‘And Then There Were None’ and ‘Identity’, the killer hides among them and murders the characters one by one. In ‘Phone Booth’, the rule is that you must not hang up the call with the killer inside. In ‘Saw’ or ‘Cube’, the rule is that if you win the game against the killer, they will let you escape the closed room. While the methods differ, the crucial element of this locked-room device is that the characters must engage in a life-or-death game with the killer, and that they inevitably begin to suspect each other within that confined space. Of course, this is precisely what the killer intends. The very nature of being trapped in a confined space causes the characters to constantly interrogate, corner, and suspect one another.
‘Saw’ also utilizes this locked room device by constantly showing the suspicion between Dr. Gordon and Adam, who are trapped in the warehouse.
The Genre-Specific Thrill Unique to ‘Saw’
Having explored the conventions of thriller films that ‘Saw’ possesses, let’s now identify the characteristics unique to ‘Saw’ within that framework. How did it blend these conventions to create the film?
It’s precisely because of that special realistic aspect. You might find this claim somewhat puzzling. ‘Saw’ realistic? Where on earth is that coming from!’ I know you might counter. Yet this film undeniably possesses a strong realistic dimension.
The most crucial reason audiences feel particularly unsettled and experience chills watching this film is that every single one of them has, at some point, complained about not wanting to live in this world. Were the characters forced to play games with the killer and face death in the film somehow special? No, they were just people who found the world tedious and lacked any real drive for life. The killer in the film is facing death himself. He feels utterly maddened that his own life is so precious, yet others treat theirs as worthless. Now, let’s take a look at you. What about you? Haven’t you ever had thoughts like the victims in the movie? Surely you have. Thoughts like life is too hard, maybe I should just die—those incredibly lazy thoughts.
But the interesting thing is that even those victims, when death is right before their eyes, cling to life like mad. Watching scenes where someone cuts open another’s stomach or gouges out their own eyes, the audience couldn’t just sit back and watch comfortably. Because they were no different!
That’s why I described it as realistic. The premise that the victims are no different from us, especially the killer’s message targeting modern people living without clinging to life – that’s why it felt so chillingly real. The film strategically placed moments that provoke thoughts like, “What the hell? I’m no different…” through its provocative devices. Crucially, unlike other thrillers that merely offer a visual experience of death, this terrifying experience forces viewers to contemplate the value of life itself.
In closing
‘Saw’ is certainly not a meticulously crafted thriller like ‘Identity’, ‘Usual Suspects’, or ‘Memento’. However, it undeniably excels at executing the fundamental formula of the thriller genre better than most films: confined spaces, murder, torture, the harrowing psychological portrayal of its characters, and relentless tension. The scenes were constructed to vividly portray the characters’ psyches, and the killer’s unique philosophy—constantly walking the tightrope between murderer and judge—was effectively brought to life. While the film’s structure itself has clear flaws, there’s no doubt it remains a sufficiently stimulating film, both visually and emotionally, as a thriller. To analyze the reasons for this film’s box office success, we need to revisit the meaning of ‘thriller’.
“A thriller refers to a film produced with the intent to stimulate the audience’s fear psychology.”
I believe this film’s box office success was largely due to its ability to deliver sufficient fear to the audience, beyond any twists or meaningful aphorisms. The reason many people were enthusiastic about this film was likely not because it was a low-budget film or a debut director’s work, but because it was a film that remained faithful to the conventions of the thriller genre. And within those conventions, the genre-specific pleasure that only ‘Saw’ could deliver was clearly well-executed. So, even though it feels raw and rough around the edges, I think this film fully capitalized on the genre appeal of being a thriller.
