* Content Warning: this article includes discussion gore, violence, death, blood, destruction and self-mutilation *
The “Saw” franchise, originally created by Australian filmmakers James Wan and Leigh Whannel in 2004, has now become one of the most famous horror series of all time. Featuring the diabolical works of the Jigsaw Killer, a villainous character who gathers victims to play games for their life, the franchise showcases many gruesome deaths. These are the top five most disturbing deaths featured in the series:
- The Laser Collars
Debuting in “Jigsaw,” the Laser Collars were a trap designed for Detective Brad Halloran (Callum Keith Rennie) and medical examiner Logan Nelson (Matt Passmore). A fan favorite for its high-tech design, the trap was built to encompass two metal collars connected to the walls, with lasers attached to each of them. If activated, the lasers would turn on and slice apart the victim’s head. The catch here is that one of the collars was removable and fake, while the other was not. The victims would be provided a short time limit as the lasers inch closer and closer to their head lest they confess to their crimes.
- Scalping Seat
Featured in “Saw IV,” the Scalping Seat is a mechanical chair designed to rip the victim’s scalp off by slowly pulling back their hair. The only way to prevent the trap from killing its victim is through the presence of a second member who is tasked to find the code hidden in the gears to unlock the victim. The device is tested on Brenda (Sarain Boylan), a pimp who forced young women to work as prostitutes, and Daniel Rigg (Lyriq Bent), an officer with a savior complex. Brenda was trapped in the chair and Rigg was tasked with finding the code. The Scalping Seat is a diabolical machine part of a series of tests known as Rigg’s Trials.
- Freezer Room
The Freezer Room is another of a series of traps known as Jeff’s Trial. The first trap of “Saw III,” the Freezer Room was modified to accommodate a naked victim who would be chained by their arms in the middle of the ceiling. On either side of the victim is a vertical pole fixated with nozzles. Periodically, the victim would be sprayed with icy water and they would be frozen to death in the freezer room. The only way to survive is from another person obtaining a key to free the victim. The scene was chilling one to watch as Danica Scott (Debra Lynne McCabe), the victim in the scene, screamed her heart out and apologized for her past actions to Jeff Denlon (Angus Macfadyen) whose inaction led to her demise.
- Bathroom Trap
A list like this cannot exist without mentioning the iconic Bathroom Trap which appears repeatedly throughout the franchise. First seen in “Saw,” the trap locks its victims in a bathroom, chained by their ankles on opposite ends of the room. The only way to escape is through rusty hacksaws that they are provided with, and they must make the decision to either cut off their own feet, or die of starvation while locked up. With the mental torture of inflicting self-torture, this trap is one that messes with the viewer’s head as they are left to wonder if they could handle a trap like this themself.
- Reverse Bear Trap
A fairly simple contraption, the Reverse Bear Trap is one that is repeated throughout the franchise. The original was attached to the victim’s head and secured with a lock and a timer attached to the back. The victim would then be provided 60 seconds to find a way to remove the trap and escape. However, if time ran out, the trap would activate and rip the victim’s upper jaw off from their lower one. A gory mess, the first death to the Reverse Bear Trap was that of Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell) in “Saw 3D,” who could do nothing but panic due to the unfair circumstances of her execution to a former survivor of the trap.
Just when it couldn’t get any more disturbing: Angel Trap
The superior trap of the series is the Angel Trap, another speciality of “Saw III.” Designed to strap the victim to a leather harness, the Angel Trap would suspend them above the floor. On the back of the victim is a device with “arms” of sorts, with brackets hooked into the victim’s ribcage. To escape the trap, the victim has to grab a key from an acid-filled jar which is also suspended from the air. But if they could not make it out within 60 seconds, the trap would activate, spreading its “arms” behind the victims back like an angel’s wings (also providing the trap’s namesake) and would rip the subject’s ribs apart and ultimately kill them.
