Saw
2004 · Directed by James Wan
Director
James Wan
Malaysian-born Australian filmmaker born February 26, 1977 in Kuching, Sarawak. Co-created the Saw franchise with writer/star Leigh Whannell, directing the original Saw (2004) from a short film the pair made to pitch the concept -- the series has since grossed over a billion dollars worldwide and helped define 2000s "torture horror." Wan went on to found two more major horror franchises, Insidious (2010) and The Conjuring (2013), through his production company Atomic Monster, before moving into big-budget action and blockbuster filmmaking with Furious 7 (2015) and Aquaman (2018). Across genres, his films favor a tightly engineered reveal -- a hidden mechanism or hidden identity the audience is shown just enough to miss -- over pure shock for its own sake.