Fascination, Trepidation, Self-Mutilation

From the orchards of doom erected by Vlad the Impaler, to the moral dissections of Jack the Ripper, to the evening snacks of Jeffrey Dahmer, the serial killer is one of the most fascinating products of human civilization. Why, when society's purpose is to cherish and nurture life, is the obsessive murderer so fascinating?

Who cares! They're totally sweet, whatever the reason. Nothing like unwinding after a stressful week by catching a flick about the attracting and repelling nature of the unfettered destruction of life. This Friday comes "Saw," a massacre-o-the-week in the vein of "Seven," from newcomers James Wan and Leigh Wannall, who both wrote the film and direct and act respectively.

The film follows the many victims of the Jigsaw Killer, a madman who devises deadly puzzles and self-torture chambers in which to trap the unsuspecting. Refreshingly disturbing, the diabolical sadism of the Jigsaw Killer will make you sick to your stomach, conscious of the blood in your limbs and the pressure slowly welling up in your chest.

Although filmed and written with a kind of Showtime Late-Night Thriller lack-of-flair, the film is ultimately rewarding in its ability to unsettle and puzzle. Told from the point of view of two men trapped in one of Jigsaw's more elaborate pieces, the film jumps back and forth from past to present in an interesting, if dated, way. The film holds the tension nicely, and the audience is left confused and spatially disoriented for the whole affair.

A few parts are so disturbing that it's difficult to handle, but these moments are well placed and help to augment the tension as the film progresses. Unfortunately, the plot diffuses slightly too early at the end, and what clearly was meant to be the shocking peak of the film comes off as mostly silly. That is, until the film finally closes with a truly surprising final revelation.

Sadly, the acting can get distractingly bad. Cary Elwes and Danny Glover supply the meager star power to the film. Danny Glover is boringly typical as the detective searching for the killer, and though the role potentially allows for something besides your basic cop acting, Glover never tries it. Cary Elwes, meanwhile, is comically bad. Most of the time he sounds like he's doing a spot on impression of Will Farrell's Alex Trebek from Saturday Night Live's Celebrity Jeopardy parodies. Any emotion he displays is tinted by Elwes' awkward intonations.

Thankfully, the acting is far from the point. While not providing anything unique, "Saw" is entertaining and doesn't fail in its goals, not an easy task in this kind of thriller. Most importantly, it's got the grip of a bear trap, and it will keep you frightened throughout. It may not attract the unconverted to the horror genre, its creative approach and ability to terrorize its audience make it a great one shot film to escape into.

With grace, "Saw" will empty your mind of any immediate troubles to make more room for fear.

Tags: