Saw

This tense horror is the directorial debut for James Wan, and the first screenplay written by actor Leigh Whannell, who also stars. Two men, Adam (Whannell) and Dr Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes), wake up to find themselves chained to pipes in a room they have never seen before. Between them lies the dead body of a man with apparently self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

As they begin to piece together the circumstances that led to their predicament, the pair realise they are the latest victims of a serial killer known as the Jigsaw, who orchestrates situations in which his captors will be driven to kill each other. They also learn that the killer has taken Gordon's family hostage. How can the men possibly outwit this sadistic psychopath in time to save themselves and the hostages?

Note: This is an imported product that has been officially rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body of New Zealand. As this is sourced from overseas, the discs may not play on standard DVD players.

Critic Reviews:

• " There's something impressively loathsome and extravagantly twisted about this horror-thriller from first-timer James Wan. " – Peter Bradshaw

• " A twist ending for the ages always helps a genre shine up good for the camera. " – Dan Buffa

• " It may not be one of the horror greats that many people seem to make it out to be, but Saw is crafty and ambitious enough to warrant a horror buff's time. " – Zachary Doiron