Saw (2004) ft. Kieran B and Jaylan Salah Salman

Dana and Tom with returning guests Kieran B (Host and Creator of the Best Picture Cast) and Jaylan Salah Salman (Film Critic for In Session Film, Geek Vibes Nation, and Keith Loves Movies) discuss the horror film Saw (2004) for its 20th anniversary: directed by James Wan, written by Leigh Whannell, music by Charlie Clouser, starring Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, and Ken Leung.

Plot Summary: Saw is a horror film that takes a grim pleasure in its own sadism, positioning itself as both a grisly thriller and a twisted morality tale. At its core, the movie revolves around two men, Adam and Dr. Lawrence Gordon, who wake up in a dingy bathroom, chained to opposite sides of the room. They soon discover they are the latest victims of a deranged figure known as Jigsaw, a serial killer with a perverse mission: he doesn’t just murder his victims—he forces them into life-or-death games where survival is determined by how far they are willing to go to save themselves.

Director James Wan revels in pushing the audience's discomfort, presenting a relentless series of traps that are as much about mental anguish as physical pain. The characters’ desperation is palpable, yet their choices feel less like genuine human decisions and more like pawns being moved by the screenwriter’s hand. The result is a film that thrives on tension and shock but leaves little room for reflection.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guests

02:47 Cast and Recognition for Saw

04:54 Relationship(s) with Saw

12:00 What is Saw About?

20:45 Why Do People Like Horror Movies?

28:37 Are There Any Good Horror Sequels?

32:23 Plot Summary for Saw

34:06 Did You Know?

35:17 First Break

36:10 What's Happening with Kieran and Jaylan

39:46 Ask Dana Anything

51:12 Best Performance(s)

01:02:36 Best/Favorite/Indelible Scene(s)

01:09:42 Second Break

01:10:41 In Memoriam

01:14:58 Tom Rant

01:16:46 Best/Funniest Lines

01:20:23 The Stanley Rubric - Legacy

01:30:38 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance

01:38:05 The Stanley Rubric - Novelty

01:41:58 The Stanley Rubric - Classicness

01:50:48 The Stanley Rubric - Rewatchability

01:57:43 The Stanley Rubric - Audience Score and Final Total

02:00:18 Remaining Questions for Saw

02:10:10 Thank You to Our Guests and Final Thoughts

Guests:

Kieran B

Host and Creator of the Best Picture Cast; @bestpicturecast on X, IG, Letterboxd
Previous Episodes: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1957), Lost in Translation (2003), Gran Torino (2008), Stalag 17 (1953), Shane (1953), A Fistful of Dollars (1964), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) Revisit, 12 Angry Men (1957) Revisit, The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Revisit.

Jaylan Salah Salman

Film Critic for In Session Film, Geek Vibes Nation, and Keith Loves Movies
Author on Amazon
@jaylansalman on IG, Letterboxd, @jaylan_88 on Twitter
Previously on Joker (2019)

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Keywords:

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