Anticipating SAW V

Being one of the most successful horror film franchises the SAW franchise has defined the way mainstream audiences view horror films. They are smart, entertaining, and relentlessly violent, a far cry from the days of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, FRIDAY THE 13th, and CHILD'S PLAY (which all became caricatures of themselves relying more on humor then anything else).

When SAW (2004) was first unleashed upon audiences it was a smart and intelligent thriller with suspenseful moments of horror that changed audiences expectations before the last frame of film had been unveiled. It had an ending no one was expecting and generated a buzz of worthy approval that drew out audiences of all different age groups and genders and races. It was a box office hit. The film grossed $103 million world wide on a $1.2 million budget. A sequel was guaranteed. The only problem was that the film was a pretty self-contained horror film with a serial killer-boogie man that just couldn't be stopped. The only solution was to create a bigger film on a larger canvas from which to allow the exploits of the Jigsaw killer (played immortally by Tobin Bell) to continue while still trying to stay true to what the first film had achieved. Thus was born SAW II (2005).

In SAW II the filmmakers decided to do what no other horror franchise had done before which is start the film off with the capture of the Jigsaw Killer. This was the spark of genius that audiences were looking for. The new film brought in more people in which to layer more elaborate traps and deaths. Although suspenseful, the gore content was stressed in the new film as well as the "ticking clock" aspect of the story, which made everything the characters did in the film more immediate. Audiences were also exposed to more details about the Jigsaw killer that were largely left unclear and unanswered from the previous film. Although flawed at times, SAW II is a rollercoaster ride worth taking and was just a sign of things to come in SAW III (2006). SAW II grossed $147 million worldwide.