James Wan, director of the very first Saw film and longtime producer of the franchise, has revealed his favorite Jigsaw trap. Wan developed the story of the first Saw movie alongside Leigh Whannell, and the film ended up spawning one of the most iconic horror franchises of all time. Since the original was released in 2004, there have been a total of ten Saw movies. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the very first installment, Wan reflected on the franchise’s iconic traps and revealed which one is his favorite.
Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that Wan chose a trap from the first Saw movie, the only entry in the franchise he has directed. In an interview with PEOPLE, Wan admitted that the reverse bear trap remains his favorite Jigsaw trap. Read his full quote below:
It’s really the jaw trap. I mean, that one has become so iconic. Obviously, it ended up being on the poster, so that one is the most … that one would probably mean the most to me.
Why Saw’s Reverse Bear Trap Is So Iconic
Saw‘s Reverse Bear Trap Helped Get The Movie Made
In Saw, the reverse bear trap was built by franchise villain John Kramer/Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) and is first seen on Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith). In a chilling scene that sets the tone for the rest of the series, Amanda wakes up with her jaw attached to the trap and is forced to retrieve a key from a man’s stomach before the trap goes off. As Wan noted, the reverse bear trap ended up being featured on the poster for the original Saw, and ever since has been one of the most memorable and iconic traps from the franchise.
The reverse bear trap from Saw also holds a special place in Wan’s heart because it is the trap that was featured in the original Saw short film, which he and Whannel made before receiving funding for the feature film. In the same interview, Wan claimed that Hollywood producers loved the idea of the reverse bear trap in the Saw short film. “They’re like, ‘We don’t know what the hell we’re looking at, but this is fascinating.’ And so for me, that will always be my baby,” Wan said.
Our Thoughts On Saw’s Reverse Bear Trap
It Solidified John Kramer As A Horror Icon.
Compared to many traps in the Saw franchise, the reverse bear trap is very simple, but that is what makes it so special. Certain Saw traps are so complicated that it appears to be impossible for the victim to escape. Since the point of every Jigsaw trap is that the victims are meant to at least have a chance to escape, making them too complicated lessens the tension. In the first Saw movie, Amanda actually survives the reverse bear trap, and true to his word, John Kramer lets her go. This made John Kramer such a unique and iconic horror movie villain.
Saw XI, the next film in the franchise, currently has a release date of September 26, 2025.
Source: PEOPLE
Saw
The Saw film franchise is an anthology of horror films centered around the Jigsaw Killer, a mastermind who crafts elaborate traps to test his victims’ will to live. Victims, often morally flawed, are forced into gruesome games where they must inflict severe pain on themselves or others to survive.
- First Film
- Saw (2004)
- Upcoming Films
- Saw XI