Saw

Play trailer

1:57

Saw

R

2004

1h 43m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

50%

Tomatometer

195 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Photographer Adam Stanheight (Leigh Whannell) and oncologist Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) regain consciousness while chained to pipes at either end of a filthy bathroom. As the two men realize they've been trapped by a sadistic serial killer nicknamed "Jigsaw" and must complete his perverse puzzle to live, flashbacks relate the fates of his previous victims. Meanwhile, Dr. Gordon's wife (Monica Potter) and young daughter (Makenzie Vega) are forced to watch his torture via closed-circuit video.

Critics Consensus

Saw ensnares audiences with a deceptively clever plot and a myriad of memorable, nasty set pieces, but its lofty ambitions are undercut by a nihilistic streak that feels more mean than profound.

Read Critics Reviews

Jordan Crucchiola

New York Magazine/Vulture

10/27/2017

The sound of Jigsaw's gravely voice pouring out of the tape recorder is still as ominous a sound as one could imagine, and the big reveals still come as a genuine shock.

Go to Full Review

David Germain

Associated Press

10/27/2014

How such a cruelly empty and infantile movie got made is mystery enough. More puzzling is why Cary Elwes, Danny Glover and Monica Potter would sign on as co-stars.

Go to Full Review

James Christopher

The Times (UK)

10/27/2014

James Wan's horror film Saw is full of demented twists and guilty-looking actors, but the scenario is cruel enough to make you squirm.

Go to Full Review

John Stark

Mac the Movie Guy

6d

75/100

I think some detractors need to revisit Saw, the surprise indie hit that built a franchise and sub-genre, and still has one of the great movie twists of all time. Saw is sadistic and brutal, but don’t cut your nose off to spite your face. saw is a classic

Go to Full Review

Bryce Hanson

Horror Movie Talk

Sep 18

7/10

The original Saw is well constructed and has an engaging plot that unravels nicely, but it’s still at its heart, a cheap exploitational premise.

Go to Full Review

Sharai Bohannon

A Nightmare On Fierce Street Podcast

05/23/2025

4/5

'Saw' has twists, a gross bathroom, a dangerous aura, James Wan in the director's seat, and Chekhov's saw. It was destined to be a banger.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Grant

03/24/2025

Always ready to see this in theaters. They should do a marathon of all of them.

See more

Mike

11/14/2024

Classic. Must watch horror.

See more

Steven-Jew King

10/24/2024

Nothing Disliked. Was Great seeing it on Big Screen

See more

Sheila S

10/24/2024

Great. Saw all of them previously

See more

Allyson

10/24/2024

The one that started it all. It kicked off a billion dollar franchise as well as my favorite media franchise ever, one that has persisted, unwaveringly, with me for 20 years now. I have always been a SAW fan and will always be a SAW fan. I go through hyperfixations a lot, but SAW is the only one that has lasted as long as it has. If I ever got a tattoo, it would be based on SAW.

See more

Gab

10/24/2024

It was ok, I was expecting more of it.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

James Wan

Director

Cary Elwes

Dr. Lawrence Gordon

Danny Glover

Detective David Tapp

Monica Potter

Alison Gordon

Michael Emerson

Zep Hindle

Tobin Bell

John

Saw: Official Clip - Lawrence Saws Off His Foot

2:13

Saw: Official Clip - Who Is That?

2:12

Saw: Official Clip - Jigsaw Calls Their Bluff

2:14

Saw: Official Clip - It Was Tapp

2:11

Saw: Official Clip - The Game

2:13

Saw: Official Clip - Head Trap

2:13

Saw: Official Clip - Booby Traps

2:12

Saw: Official Clip - Razor Wire

2:01

Saw: Official Clip - Game Over

2:03

Saw: Official Clip - Revenge

2:13

View more videos

Saw II

39%

59%

Saw II

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Saw II

Saw III

28%

71%

Saw III

Watchlist

Saw IV

19%

62%

Saw IV

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Saw IV

Dead Silence

22%

51%

Dead Silence

Watchlist

Saw VI

39%

54%

Saw VI

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Saw VI

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

How Good Are the Saw Movies When a Saw Is Actually Involved?

The 21 Masters Of Horror Shaping the Genre Right Now

The Killer Body Count Guide

Saw: Trailer 1

1:57

Rotten Tomatoes is Wrong About… Saw

49:08

Saw: Trailer 1 Re-Release

1:07

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Photographer Adam Stanheight (Leigh Whannell) and oncologist Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) regain consciousness while chained to pipes at either end of a filthy bathroom. As the two men realize they've been trapped by a sadistic serial killer nicknamed "Jigsaw" and must complete his perverse puzzle to live, flashbacks relate the fates of his previous victims. Meanwhile, Dr. Gordon's wife (Monica Potter) and young daughter (Makenzie Vega) are forced to watch his torture via closed-circuit video.

Director: James Wan
Producer: Mark Burg, Oren Koules, Gregg Hoffman
Screenwriter: Leigh Whannell, James Wan
Distributor: Lionsgate
Production Co: Twisted Pictures, Lions Gate Films, Evolution Entertainment
Rating: R (Language|Strong Grisly Violence)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 29, 2004, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Oct 20, 2024
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 28, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $650.1K
Runtime: 1h 43m
Sound Mix: Dolby, DTS, Dolby Atmos, Dolby SRD, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)