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There are many movies whose reputation and legacy have far surpassed their initial impact. These are films that have influenced so many others that they no longer feel new or exciting because they’ve been imitated to death, their original brilliance having since become a formula unto itself. Such is the reputation of “Saw,” one of many examples of small, independent horror movies premiering at the Sundance Film Festival and forever changing the genre (see also: “The Blair Witch Project” going from a production nightmare to an indie film legend<\/a>). Despite being a big horror fan, though, I never watched any of the “Saw” movies when I was growing up in the 2000s since they were known for being, well, so-called “torture porn.”<\/p>\n Recall that the ’00s was dominated by splatter horror movies that emphasized depictions of cruel violence, mutilation, extreme gore, and often torture \u2014 with movies like Eli Roth’s “Hostel” and the “Saw” property being amongst the highest-profile examples of this sub-genre. These films spoke to the senseless violence of the post-9\/11 decade by reflecting back what audiences were already seeing on the news on a daily basis.<\/p>\n It’s easy to see why “Saw,” as directed by James Wan and written by Leigh Whannell (who also stars in the film), was a monumental hit then. Not only did it play with that very idea of senseless, extreme violence, but it was also extremely cheap to make and not-so-subtly inspired by David Fincher’s “Se7en,”\u00a0down to its twist ending and fantastic cast. With its nonlinear narrative, engaging central mystery, and cool kills featuring Rube Goldberg-style death contraptions that bring to mind the “Final Destination” franchise, “Saw” makes for a winning combination.<\/p>\n Still, given its torture porn reputation, I stayed very far away from any of the “Saw” movies \u2014 until now.<\/p>\n