I’m not entirely sure I can give a reason for my love of the Saw franchise. Much of it is pretty awful and a perfect example of why the torture-porn sub-genre has properly faded to the fringe of horror. Maybe it was because Jigsaw was the first true horror icon to come around in years and I wanted a return to the years where my horror tastes were formed. Maybe it was the story twists in each film and the memorable theme music that went along with them. Or maybe I am just a sick person that enjoys watching people die in fascinating new ways. I just don’t know. I do however know that for seven years, seeing the newest entry in the series was one of my October traditions. This week I want to share my three favorite traps from the series.
The Rack Trap (Saw III)
Out of all of Jigsaw’s sick traps, The Rack trap might be his most brutal. Jeff, Saw III’s main character, comes across the man that accidentally killed his son strapped to a gruesome looking torture device. Jeff can save the man by getting a key attached to a shotgun but he hesitates because he has dreamed of killing this man every day since his son was killed. As Jeff watches the man get twisted apart in front of him, he has a battle with himself over whether he can forgive this man or not and as each moment passes, the gears twist the poor soul even further. Out of all the scenes in the series, this one is one of the heaviest in terms of the choices Jigsaw’s subjects must face and it makes it all the more gruesome because of that weight.
Pound of Flesh (Saw VI)
After being utterly let down by Saw V, I was anticipating Saw VI to be a complete train wreck of a film. Yet, with its not-so-subtle commentary on the (then) current state of the economy and healthcare in the United States, it actually surprised me in a lot of ways. But even if the film had been a disaster, the opening sequence would have been more than enough. As Saw VI starts out, two morally bankrupt financial officers are sitting in chairs with odd devices around their heads. Jigsaw explains that only one of the two can survive and to do so they will need to literally give more of themselves than the other in 60 seconds. Eddie seems to have a distinct advantage over Simone as he sets out to carve off his fat and put it on the scale. But Simone doesn’t give in hacking off her entire arm. It is sick and disgusting and one of the best Saw traps ever.
Needle Pit (Saw II)
Many people don’t know it but Saw II didn’t start out as a Saw film but something else entirely, reworked by Lionsgate and placed under the Saw name. That might explain why I feel it is the strongest of the franchise. Regardless, the infamous needle pit is the one trap that really makes my skin crawl. I hate needles and having to crawl around in a pit of them to find something might be my biggest nightmare. I still shudder thinking about Amanda being tossed into the pit and the needles just jabbing out of her as she frantically searches for the key.
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