Saw (2004)

One grimy bathroom, two guys chained to pipes, a cassette tape and a clock, and somehow that launched a whole franchise of increasingly elaborate traps. The original is more puzzle than gore, which surprises people. James Wan and Leigh Whannell built a mean little mystery with a ticking clock, made for a reported $1.2 million, and the bathroom setup is a great hook. The trouble is everything outside that room. The flashbacks are edited like a music video having a panic attack, Danny Glover’s detective subplot is all grimace and no grip, and Cary Elwes plays the big emotional scenes at a volume that would get him tossed out of a library. Critics gave it 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, and audiences liked it far more, with 518,662 IMDb ratings averaging a 7.6. It made $104 million worldwide. A 6.1 because the idea is sharper than the execution. $3,664 says you glance around for a tape recorder the next time you walk into a public restroom.

What works: A simple, nasty hook in a single room and a mystery that keeps you guessing who is pulling the strings.

What doesn’t: Overheated acting, frantic editing in the flashbacks and a detective subplot that drains tension from the main story.

Who it’s for: Horror fans who like a puzzle with their scares and want to see where the whole franchise started.