“Saw,” a unique, chilling thriller directed by James Wan, is a tasty blend of gruesome graphics and deranged, genius serial-killer horror. Although it does not live up to its reputation as one of the most disturbing horror films ever, it does offer its fair share of tantalizing, twisted moments.

As if that is not enough praise, previews boast that “Saw” resembles the familiar hysteria of “Silence of the Lambs.” That is not even close to the truth, rather it’s just a way to get people interested and captivated by its potential terror.

The movie features the psychotic “Jigsaw Killer,” who, incidentally, is not really a killer at all. Though he kidnaps many individuals and puts them in death traps, he never kills any of them. He is creative and sick enough to find ways to have his victims kill themselves. He systematically places them in near-death experiences all over town for months. Though his motive is unknown, he seems to select people who need a wake-up call to appreciate life. He plays with them, and if they do not figure out his puzzle or game, they do not live to tell the story. If they figure it out, he rewards them with a moral life lesson.

The movie takes no time to beat around the bush, beginning with scenes of panic and terror. A young man named Adam (Leigh Whannel) wakes up chained to a pipe in a strange, foul chamber (it seems to be a bathroom). Opposite him is Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) who is bewildered to find himself also chained. Neither has any idea how they came to be in the chamber and their bewilderment intensifies as they find that they hold tapes and are instructed to play them. The tapes reveal that Dr. Gordon must kill Adam in eight hours or else both will die as well as Dr. Gordon’s wife and daughter. Faced with the frustrating reality that this is no joke, the men find clues that the killer intentionally places in the room.

Although the plot is very clever, the ending leaves you less than satisfied with its many unanswered questions, although this may have been deliberate. I personally feel that the actors portray their characters rather profoundly, but some may disagree. Though it may seem that the writer tried too hard to tie all the details together into a neat little package, “The Saw,” which has been the target of criticism, does deserve to be seen. It delivers the breath-defying moments that only an excellent horror film can pull off.