The sets, the locations, they’re all based in extreme reality. They don’t use a ton of CGI to make the monster scarier. It isn’t some horror show with zombies or ghosts or vampires.
#SAW 2004 MOVIE#
How did they do that? How did they create such an excellent movie on such a low budget? Easy. That’s a cool $99 million in revenue, not even counting the money this film has continued to rake in since. Saw 1 “cost barely over $1 million to make and raked in about $100 million worldwide” i. In general, most horror movies are created on an average budget of $13 Million. All it took was a great set to match an even greater story.
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#SAW 2004 SERIAL#
Saw 1 and its torturous cinematic situations pull the audience in like none had done before with a serial killer that could be anybody on the street. Audiences grew tired of things they couldn’t relate to. Fictionalized horror died down along with 80’s movies like Gremlins or ET. The more realistic a situation is, the more invested they may be for a modern horror audience. And the sets successfully distinguish to us, as the audience, that there are two completely different worlds within this seemingly normal universe. The police never come in contact with the killer. Those in the throes of anguish in this film never come in contact with the outside world. While this may seem like a subtle detail, it’s crucial to what makes this film stand out from others like it. It contrasts wildly with the scenes of investigation: bleach-white tiles and dirty walls completely different from the outside world that the duo will unfortunately never see. By utilizing real spaces in other parts of the film, the creators of Saw 1 managed to encapsulate just how terrifying this bathroom is. While the movie itself was shot in multiple locations, only the bathroom was physically built. The viewers don’t have to go anywhere else to understand what’s going on. It’s hardly even a room: it’s more of a very large bathroom. Although there is a police investigation occurring around the Jigsaw murderer, the characters we are invested in the most are trapped in a singular room for the film’s entirety. Perhaps one of the most impressive things about Saw 1 is that most of the action takes place on a singular set. Viewers can decide whether that’s good or bad for them. Perhaps that has a part in why Saw 1 is such an iconic and unforgettable movie. Persistence helped them make it, and that same persistence and passion are clear throughout their debut feature. They created a concept piece and continued to pitch their script around Hollywood until Lionsgate bought the concept and picked up the script from Whannell and Wan. So what did Whannell and Wan do? They created a five-minute version of their film and acted in it themselves. The answer is simple: sheer determination and passion.Īs it goes in Hollywood, horror movie budgets were higher than two college students could afford. So what made them stand out from other creators? What did they have that allowed them to change the face of the horror industry? They were desperate to make their mark in Hollywood.
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They were just two college buddies who loved horror films. Some Much-Needed Backstoryīefore we dissect the movie’s genius, we first need to understand the creators of the franchise: James Wan and Leigh Whannell. In one single movie, the creators forever altered the world of terrifying cinema. From the story to the budget, Saw 1 set a new standard for horror movies by creating a film quite unlike any the cinematic world had ever seen before. While all have been successful, it’s important to remember that it needs to derive from an incredible source for a franchise to succeed. The movies’ terribly violent actions have simultaneously driven audience members away and pulled others closer over the course of their existence.
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The Saw franchise: a sequence of seven gritty films complete with a hodgepodge of villains.