Parents' Guide to

Saw

By Kat Halstead, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Popular but disturbing horror has violence, gore, language.

Movie R 2004 102 minutes
Saw Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 97 parent reviews

MarineCat636
MarineCat636 Adult
August 10, 2021
age 15+

I am so sick of people calling this "torture porn"

Parents need to know that this is one of the most frustrating reviews on this website. This is NOT "torture porn" by any means. In fact, this film shies away from gore very often. The camera angles hide the most grisly images. I am not going to try to convince you that this movie is good for kids, because it isn't. Saw still has a ton of disturbing content, even if there is little to no gore actually shown. The film has a lot of psychological torture rather than physical torture. A man is forced to saw off his own foot, a woman is forced to dig through the stomach of a man for a key, and a man has his head smashed with a toilet tank. However, all of this is off-screen, but it is still really disturbing to watch people have to do these acts. When this film was released, it causes quite an uproar because of how disturbing it was. People called it "torture porn" because the movie was so disturbing to them that they felt like the movie was only made to show gore, which is NOT the case. These days the movie is extremely tame, and most teens wont be disturbed by it at all. The person who wrote this "professional" review (Nell Minow) is extremely biased against anything she doesn't like. Seriously, click on her name and see the movies she has reviewed. If he doesn't like it, the movie will get a really high age rating. Ifs he likes the movie though, even if it's really mature, it will get a lower age rating. Again, this movie has a reputation it doesn't deserve. While it has extreme psychological torture, it barely shows any blood, (except the pool of blood on the body in the bathroom that is shown throughout the movie) It actually has a good message about teamwork, and it actually is a very smart and original thriller. I personally really like this movie, but it does have some issues. Like I said, it is very smart and effective. It has a fantastic and very interesting villain as well. The plot is well written and I love the huge twist at the end. However, the acting is not great at times, it has a very low budget that really shows, and some scenes are really poorly directed. Overall in terms of quality, I would give this movie a 6.5/10. In terms of how mature the movie is though, because of the disturbing content and frequent strong language I would say that Saw is probably okay for teens ages 15 and up. One thing that should be noted is that the Saw series gets more graphic, sadistic, and disturbing as it goes on. Saw, Saw 2, and, Jigsaw, are probably okay for teens 16 and older. The other ones are NOT okay for anyone who is not an adult. Another thing is that this movie is definitely not okay for ALL 15 year-olds. Some will be extremely disturbed and this movie is not for the faint of heard. If your kid is asking to see the movie and already knows what they are signing up for, it's probably fine if they are 15 or older. However, if you are planning on showing it to them, make sure they know what they are getting into. Thanks for reading.
Gavin M.
Gavin M. Parent of 13-year-old
January 2, 2023
age 15+

Its good but the traps make you look away

See all 97 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In SAW, two strangers (Cary Elwes and Leigh Whannell) wake up in a room chained to pipes and unable to escape. Gradually they discover that they're part of a twisted game orchestrated by a notorious serial killer called Jigsaw. If they don't solve his puzzle before the clock strikes six, one of them, both of them, or the people they love could end up dead.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (97 ):
Kids say (279 ):

The first film in one of the best-known modern horror franchises, this movie made quite an impact on release and has had a great influence on the genre. Mention Saw, and most people will have a reaction, whether they've seen it or not. Such is the power of the imagery involved in both its marketing and the clever way violence is sometimes shown but often implied. The setup poses ethical dilemmas, characters bring a level of sarcasm and humor, and frenetic camerawork and editing portray the sense of panic and horror that stays with you longer than any level of blood or gore could. For some, the implied violence seems gratuitous. For others, this is a clever premise that feels like a unique offering in a genre that often falls back on derivative clichés.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the use of violence in Saw. How much is shown on-screen, and how much is suggested or implied via reactions? Can you think of other movies that imply violence rather than show it in its entirety? How do they compare?

  • The Saw franchise has a strong fanbase and has inspired many sequels. Have you seen any of them? How do they compare to the original? Can you think of other horror franchises that have spawned a significant number of sequels? What do you think they have in common, if anything?

  • What do you understand of the Jigsaw killer's reasons behind his crimes? Do you agree with any aspect of them or what he's trying to teach his victims?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: October 29, 2004
  • On DVD or streaming: September 23, 2014
  • Cast: Cary Elwes , Danny Glover , Leigh Whannell
  • Director: James Wan
  • Inclusion Information: Asian directors, Black actors, Asian writers
  • Studio: Lionsgate
  • Genre: Horror
  • Run time: 102 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: strong grisly violence and language
  • Last updated: March 8, 2024

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