When looking at all 8 movies, SAW: The Franchise has some admirable qualities. I talked about some of them here. However, that is not to say the franchise is without its warts. Here’s a couple of things I don’t love about the Franchise.
The flip side of loving the story is also wondering if it really need this many movies in order to tell it. We’re talking 8 movies over more than a decade (2004-2017). After a while, it became a little difficult to keep track without going back and rewatching the movies previously made in order to stay abreast. I realize this was sort of the point from the movie makers standpoint; however, that doesn’t mean I have to love it.
Increasingly bland casting. By the time you get to the final movie, all the characters of color have been relegated to supporting/nonexistent roles. Despite the fact one of the movies is devoted to a black character as the main protagonist, the casting becomes more and more whitewashed as the series goes on. This I think is an overall horror movie problem, not specific or unique to SAW: The Franchise.
I would be remiss if I didn’t at least take a nod in the direction of the series becoming gore porn. It’s true as the series continues the traps become more elaborate and the gore ramps up as the moviemakers try to deliver on the shock value of seeing something different on the screen. However, that does not detract from the original intention of the trap itself which is to offer the person in question a chance to “save” themselves. So one could say I have a love/hate relationship with the idea of the series turning into gore porn. The argument has its merits; however, I don’t personally feel its true.
All things considered, I tend to think the series has more merits than warts, but then again, it is one of my favorites. I have the first seven as a collector’s edition and watch them pretty frequently. To the point of falling asleep during them at times. Everyone has those movies which they find soothing. Mine just happens to come with a scream track.
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