havent seen it and won't see it this movie is stupid and pontlessley graphic it is sick and unethical
Saw
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
More grisly than scary; not for kids.
Why We Rated This 
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Saw was written by Nell Minow
Parents need to know that this movie is the stuff of nightmares, even if the inured horror aficionado might not find it scary. The images of torture and death are brutal and explicit, lingering in mind long after the movie ends. There are multiple on-screen deaths, a child's life is threatened, characters die, a father is forced to make terrible decisions to protect his family, and there are no scenes free of peril. There are references to suicide, adultery, drug addiction, madness, and self-mutilation. There is strong language, and characters smoke. Underlying the killer's motive is the notion that everyone deserves to be tortured and that there are no innocents.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the killer's motivation, whether the deaths are consistent with that motive, and what the characters might have done differently. They also might wish to talk about the resonance (or lack thereof) of movies where characters face death and re-evaluate their lives and priorities. Do Lawrence or Adam become more appealing characters as you know them better and as their fate looks bleaker? Do their choices become clearer as they reassess their priorities? What do you think the "right" life would be like so as not to attract the killer's attention?
Have you seen it? Review It!
More on Saw
What’s the Story?
A serial killer traps a doctor (Cary Elwes) and a voyeuristic photographer (Leigh Whannell) in a windowless room with a corpse. Together with the clues that they have been given, including a mini-cassette player, photographs and two small saws, they seek to solve the riddle and escape.
Is It Any Good?
A thoroughly intriguing if ghoulish premise, some original nightmarish images, and a young director eager to show off his talents make SAW atmospheric and intense. However, the whole thing gets caught in the razor wire of shoddy acting, a sociopath who makes you go "huh?", a lack of engaging characters, and a morass of internally inconsistent details. The bitter taste in your mouth when it's over will not be fear, but instead will be disappointment, that what could have been a smart, original horror-fest turned into such an uneven wannabe.
Wan and Whannell clearly have been influenced by modern horror stalwarts like Seven, 28 Days Later, and The Ring, which results in a stilted form of brinksmanship where the end game is the most memorable gruesome image. Tying the scenes together, much less ending the movie with a tight little knot, is beyond their story-spinning ken this time. However, they deserve recognition for aiming high and for providing an engaging if ultimately disappointing ride.
Our Members Say
See all 83 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title off for age 17 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
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I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
this is rated r 4 a reason. no one under 12 should see this film. it is iffy for 13-15. if you r 16 or older this is a great movie
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I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
this is rated r 4 a reason. no one under 12 should see this film. it is iffy for 13-15. if you r 16 or older this is a great movie
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I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
this is rated r 4 a reason. no one under 12 should see this film. it is iffy for 13-15. if you r 16 or older this is a great movie
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I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
Disturbing, as always it will be.
It's a good film in general, really disturbing. Sometime's the characters die in such a disturbing way you can laugh at it!
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I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
Saw
Saw is an awesome movie. But it's extremely gory and has a lot of language. As well as some sexual references and smoking.
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I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
I was very surprised! With all the gore hype, I thought I was in for Man VS Wild sept with people, but it wasn't. M' pretty sure though that the rest are very gory, and I don't plan to see them. But this movie had such a great story and such a great message! A must see for older teens.
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I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
Good For A Mature Teen
First off Saw is notorious for graphic violence, well the first one isn't that bad! Yes it is graphic and may offend and scare some, but you shouldn't watch it if you don't like that kind of stuff. The language is mild compared to a day at a middle school! Besides the underlying message in a dark theme is: Be glad to live.
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I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- Negative role models
great
Saw is great. It has some graphic violence, but yesterday i saw Saw VI and that is 10 times more violent
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I rate this title off for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Negative role models
Its O.K for older folk but lrave your kids out of it!!
Saw is based on shock value and how gorey it can get though i woldent suggest for any little kids to watch i do recammend it for metally stable adults, i say this because if you are mentally unstable the graphic nature might push you over the edge. But honstley i think we have all been de-senseitized by this and really shouldnt suprise you. Truthfully if you watch this with your 9-year old you are an idiot plain and simple.
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I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
Love it, least gory in the series
This is my second favorite movie. A lot of people say that they refuse to watch this "senseless torture" without even watching the movie itself. Yes, there is a plot and no, the entire thing is not 1.5 hrs of complete gore.
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I rate this title on for age 16 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
BEST MOVIE EVER !!!!!!!
This movie and its sequels are the best! The violence was partially disturbing but these movies are still my favorite. The only thing i would warn parents about is the over excessive use of strong language (too many f***s) but this is still a must see horror film even though they get blodier each movie. I cant wait for SAW 6.
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I rate this title on for age 16 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
BEST MOVIE EVER !!!!!!!
This movie and its sequels are the best! The violence was partially disturbing but these movies are still my favorite. The only thing i would warn parents about is the over excessive use of strong language (too many f***s) but this is still a must see horror film even though they get blodier each movie. I cant wait for SAW 6.
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I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Now, this first saw movie is not actually as violent as the others. There is a woman cutting open a mans stomach, but it is not shown. The things that are shown is shooting, punching, and blood. And Lawerance is a good role model by showing that he would do anything to save his family.
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I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
I'm a horror freak, but this movie is more of a psychological movie than just another bloody movie to me. Don't get me wrong, it IS bloody & the movies get worse as you see the sequels. Great movie, great plot, great everything. If your kids are mature enough not to go out & start killing people then I see this movie as ok in my opinion haha
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I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
A bloody, disgusting but misunderstood psychological thriller.
Everyone always thinks...SAW = "lets see how violent we can make this movie." YES, the movie(s) are VERY violent BUT i wouldn't even call these movies horror movies. They are more like psychological thrillers (at least the first 3 are). The first three saws are amazing! Then you get to the forth one...i still enjoy the later ones but to me they are just a bunch of violence to celebrate halloween. WATCH THE FIRST 3 and if you become a fan then watch the others but expect them to not be as good.
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I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- Negative role models
cool pretty good
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I rate this title off for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
BINGO
Love it. Great for a horror flick with friends!
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I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
Great heart pounding horror movie for older audiences!
I think all these movies are very good in suspense and horror. This is NOT a movie for young children. Teenagers have seen this stuff in all movies. The violence is yes over the top but there is very mild to any sexuality involved. Teenagers will love it and even some adults :)
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I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
Not good for younger kids at all!
I thought it was a good movie and all but it was extremely violent and has bad language. Not even appropriate for most 15 year olds. Unless your kid really understands that its just a movie then don't let them see any of this movie.
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Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents say it's too violent |
| 100% | of parents say it has language their kids can't use |
| 40% | of parents say the sexual behavior isn't age appropriate |
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