Two strangers. One filthy bathroom. A terrifying game with rules nobody wants to follow.
We’re revisiting Saw (2004) on Nostalgia Check, presented by BJ in the Morning! Brendan and Juan are returning to the movie that launched one of horror’s biggest franchises to see whether James Wan’s original psychological horror classic still holds up more than 20 years later.
Released in 2004, Saw follows Adam and Dr. Lawrence Gordon, two men who wake up chained inside a rundown bathroom with no clear explanation of how they got there. As they discover clues left behind by the mysterious Jigsaw Killer, they realize they’re trapped in a deadly game where survival comes at a horrifying price.
Directed by James Wan and written by Leigh Whannell, Saw stars Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, and Tobin Bell in his unforgettable introduction as John Kramer, the man who would become known as Jigsaw.
But is Saw still one of the smartest horror movies of the 2000s? Does its low-budget filmmaking, psychological tension, and infamous twist hold up on a rewatch? And how much does knowing the ending change the experience?
Brendan and Juan are putting this horror classic to the Nostalgia Check. We’re revisiting the story, the performances, the traps, the suspense, and the decisions that turned a relatively small independent horror movie into a massive franchise.
We’re also looking back at what made the original Saw different from the wave of torture horror and so-called torture porn that became popular throughout the 2000s. Is Saw really just about gruesome traps, or is there more going on beneath the blood and grime?
Expect movie discussion, comedy, horror nostalgia, and plenty of opinions as we revisit the movie that made an entire generation suspicious of abandoned bathrooms.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
Does Saw (2004) still hold up? Is it the best movie in the franchise? And did you figure out the ending the first time you watched it?
Drop your thoughts in the comments!
Nostalgia Check presented by BJ in the Morning, puts movies from the past to the test. Brendan and Juan revisit beloved classics, discover movies they missed, and explore the films that shaped pop culture through comedy, honest opinions, and plenty of nostalgia.
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