Saw

Right now you can watch Saw in Australia on Stan and Lionsgate+ Amazon Channels, and in the US on Netflix and YouTube TV — and it earns its twists rather than manufacturing them. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 10,157 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Watch Tobin Bell work — the performance is a masterclass in restraint. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Stan.

There is a reason Saw keeps coming up in conversation. The plotting in Saw is tight enough that the twists feel earned rather than assembled. Two men wake up to find themselves shackled in a grimy, abandoned bathroom. As they struggle to comprehend their predicament, they discover a disturbing tape left behind by the sadistic mastermind known as Jigsaw. With a chilling voice and cryptic instructions, Jigsaw informs them that they must partake in a gruesome game in order to secure their freedom. Tobin Bell and Cary Elwes lead a cast that gives the tension real weight. Saw came out in 2004. Saw is at its best in the quiet scenes between the plot beats, where the character work actually happens. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Crime and mystery fans will find exactly what they are after in Saw. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Tobin Bell carries scenes that would sink a lesser production. The resolution feels inevitable rather than arbitrary, which is rarer than it sounds.