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Reliving A Dangerous Game: Remembering The Saw Franchise’s Best Traps

Can you believe it's already been ten years since James Wan kickstarted one of the most successful horror franchises in genre history? While the Saw movies have gone on to rake in millions and millions of festive Halloween dollars, manned by numerous writer/director teams, it all started when Wan and his creative cohort Leigh Whannell created a horror movie with a better twist than M. Night Shyamalan has ever achieved. After blowing horror audiences away, Lionsgate Entertainment and Twisted Pictures realized the moneymaking potential behind future Saw movies, resulting in an October movie-going ritual that saw seven franchise films in total.

7) Saw 3D: The Fishhook

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Blending simplicity and complexity, “The Fishhook” trap is a bit of unspeakable horror that will leave your stomach in knots. When Bobby (Sean Patrick Flannery) discovers his publicist rigged in a piercing contraption, he also notices a string coming from the woman’s mouth. Given a time limit, Bobby has to extract a key from the publicist’s stomach by pulling the string before spikes stab into her neck. Sounds easy, right? Oh yeah, I forgot to mention there’s a fishhook tied to the key as well. Still sound easy?

Fishhooks are dastardly little devices because they go in easy but dig themselves in upon extraction, as a jagged edge secures the hook in place. As Bobby tugs at the string, we can hear the hook tearing apart its victim’s insides while getting caught on internal organs along the way. This is where the trap’s final middle finger to Bobby becomes a hassle, as a noise reader sets the trap in motion if there’s too much commotion. You can imagine what an obstacle this poses, because screaming bloody murder is the only option when a fishhook is pulling at your stomach lining.

The whole scene will have your insides screaming, but the worst part is Bobby actually gets the key out – yet the publicist still dies. After fumbling around trying to get it in the lock, the spikes put an end to their victim’s suffering, but Bobby has every chance to save a life by not becoming a total klutz. There’s no sympathy from Bobby though, who punctuates the scene by screaming, “WHY WOULDN’T YOU JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Easy for you to say when a fishhook isn’t ripping through YOUR insides, Bobby.