In 2003, filmmakers James Wan and Leigh Whannell created a short film as part of their pitch for a screenplay they wrote. A couple of months later, film producer Gregg Hoffman happened to discover the short film and screenplay when a friend showed it to him. Feeling an instant connection to the project, Hoffman decided to bring the script to his two partners, Mark Burg and Oren Koules. A little over a year later, the film Saw was released.

Saw told the story of a pair of men that find themselves trapped in a basement by the Jigsaw killer, a criminal that puts people through physically and psychologically taxing situations in order to give them an appreciation for life. While it performed very well at the box office, grossing 86 times the budget, Saw did not receive universal acclaim with many critics claiming it was merely a restitching of earlier horror films and focused too much on graphic violence. Other critics compared it to the 1995 film Seven, from which Whannell did claim to receive inspiration. These were all relatively fair judgments, but when considering that this was the directorial debut of Wan, imperfections should have been expected. Despite these flaws, Saw managed to develop a cult following and has led six sequels (with a seventh on the way), two video games, and a comic. This success is due to the ideas of the film that end up resonating with many whom see it.

The message driving Saw originates with the antagonist, Jigsaw and his motivations. While not entirely apparent when he is first presented to the audience, Jigsaw's inner workings are expressed as the only survivor of one of his "tests" describes what she experienced and its impact on her. Amanda, a drug addict, was taken by Jigsaw and placed in a "reverse bear trap" that would tear open her face unless she unlocked herself with a key inside her cell mate's stomach. Amanda manages to free herself after which, Jigsaw leaves her with one last message, "Most people are so ungrateful to be alive, but not you, not anymore." Amanda then reveals how she believes Jigsaw has helped her to see the value in her life, something that was missing. Just like Amanda, the viewers of "Saw" contemplate whether they are ungrateful to be alive and whether or not Jigsaw would feel the need to "test" them.

While the mere watching of "Saw" may not lead to a drug addict to make changes in their life, the film does remind people that life is to be cherished, something which is often forgot when someone is stress or angry or sad; and that our health and opportunities are a gift that not everyone has.