This Underseen 2022 ‘Saw’ Replacement Is Both an Ode and Parody of the Splatter Horror Genre

It is expected that when a movie is so influential for a genre, copycats will arise. The success of Saw led to a huge rise in “torture porn” as well as death game and locked room horror movies. Out of all of these, Death Count is by far the most blatant copycat of the torture porn trailblazer, even starting one of Saw’s most iconic actors, Costas Mandylor. When held in comparison to Saw, Death Count is much less profound in its deeper meaning and loses a lot of the nuance that made Saw stand out within the genre. Yet, for those who crave something similar to the long-running franchise that doesn’t shy away from the gore, then Death Count will have a unique charm. Some will watch it and just see it as a bad replica; however, if you let yourself get past the clunky dialogue, there is a self-referential joy and a fun hour and a half to be had with Death Count.

What is ‘Death Count’ About?

Death Count sees eight people wake up in individual cells, with an assertive voice informing them that they must play along with his game. Immediately, the movie shows what happens to those who don’t, as one of the inmates refuses, and his head is blown to smithereens. It takes mere minutes for Death Count to announce its intention to be bloody and visceral in its violence, and the audience will be privy to every detail. This reflects the livestream narrative, as it is revealed that the participants are being streamed and must accrue as many likes as possible to ensure their survival. It makes the voyeuristic rotating shots feel tonally darker and uncomfortable, as this footage is being viewed by sadistic voyeurs.

The holding cells are visually similar to the bathroom in Saw, made entirely of concrete, and each participant appears to have a selection of tools within their cell. The death games are not meticulously set up as they are in Saw, meaning there is something particularly messy about the self-inflicted trauma. With each round, the participants are encouraged to select a different item and injure themselves to impress the viewers. Therefore, the competitive nature is heightened, as your will to live is tested in a much more twisted way; you don’t just have to escape your situation, you are attempting to outdo your fellow inmates. It is revealed that the participants are all teachers at a local school, with these pre-established relationships only making the scenes of violence more difficult to watch.

‘Death Count’ Pays Homage to 2000s Splatter Horror

Adam, played by Leigh Whannell and Dr Gordon, played by Cary Elwes in Saw (2004) — Images via Lions Gate Films

For those who enjoy the way Saw crafts unique death sequences and pushes the boundaries with practical gory deaths, Death Count ups the ante hugely and is more akin to the latter sequels of the Saw franchise. Although the effects are schlocky, they are obviously practical, which allows the movie to show the contortion of the body in a realistic manner that is bound to make the viewer wince. One particular scene sees an explosive shoot through a character’s eye, with the eyeball popping out with some vigor before bouncing along the floor. There is something so tangible about the effect that makes it particularly stomach-churning. It is clear that the focus of Death Count is the gore, and in this way, it feels as though it is paying homage to the way 2000s splatter horror constantly tried to experiment with what viewers could stomach. Although the expansion and elevation of horror in the 21st century should be celebrated, there is something oddly comforting about an unapologetic, gruesome gore-fest.

‘Death Count’ Flaws Can be Seen as Satire

Despite the success of the carnage in Death Count, there are elements of the movie that feel as though they lean into parody. Some of these moments feel purposeful, such as a newscaster reporting on the livestream and name-dropping Hostel and Saw, comparing the events to these movies. This highlights that the movie knows it is blatantly copying what has come before it, and makes the movie feel like a loving homage. The reference is too heavy-handed to not be seen as commentary on the torture porn subgenre.

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However, the cop plotline is substantially weaker than anything else in the movie, which is surprising considering one of them is played by Michael Madsen. Usually, Madsen is known for blurring the lines between threat and charm, making his characters complex and morally gray. Here, he is almost absent, delivering the lines with absolutely no conviction. Yet, in a strange way, this lack of intonation works if viewed through the angle of the uselessness of authority in these styles of movie. It is clear this wasn’t the intention, yet these cops perfectly represent doing the bare minimum and getting to the crime scene just in time. There is even a moment where Madsen shoots an incident victim who is dressed to look like the killer, a trope used in countless horror movies.

Death Count is totally ridiculous, and some will see it as just plain bad. However, fans of the Saw franchise should get a lot out of it. There is something thrilling about seeing Costas Mandylor play a character who is just as dark and twisted as Mark Hoffman – especially after his return to Saw was teased at the end of Saw X. Death Count has a certain unassuming allure to it that satiates that desire for a unapologetic torture porn B-movie.