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The logo of Mann Studios, a blue butterfly, was as enchanting as ever, fluttering its wings to gradually quiet down the previously disorderly theater.

As soon as this iconic opening animation appeared, Lyman couldn't help but show a smile. He was simply delighted.

The screen flickered, and the movie began.

"Flash." An abrupt burst of light shattered the pitch-black scene, illuminating the dim space.

In a cramped study, curtains drawn, shelves of books, scattered items on the desk...

If you listened carefully, you would hear an eerie sound for no apparent reason, followed by the sound of a heavy object falling onto the floor.

"Swoosh."

The screen darkened again. The only source of light was the glowing screen of a cellphone on the floor, projecting the title of the movie, "Saw".

The black, slightly blood-stained font appeared on the screen, even the subtitles that flashed had a chilling aura, immediately captivating the fans seated below.

This scene.

Had a certain flair to it.

The main feature hadn't even started yet, but the prelude alone had created an unusual air of mystery.

The invited film critics, who had come to "support" and collect bonuses, were also intrigued. This movie... seemed to have something interesting about it.

Though they were both thrillers and horror films, unlike "A Nightmare on Elm Street" or "Dawn of the Dead", which had unique setups, this movie seemed to focus more on building atmosphere, with shot after shot of dark scenes, and the eerie background music only added to the feeling.

Or rather, in the previous life, "Saw" became a classic horror film for countless people precisely due to this eerie film style. Even though it had many flaws and the acting wasn't particularly outstanding, it still couldn't hide the charm of the film, which was unique to James's directing style. It was hard to imagine that this was just the debut work of a rookie director in the film industry.

But that's exactly what film was.

Forever full of wonders. A fantasy world infused with imagination and aesthetics from filmmakers.

And now, with ample production budget and time, James was freely unleashing his horror talent.

The filled-in logic in the script was also going to be a big advantage for this film.

"I didn't expect him to be like this."

Nicolas curiously nudged Tom beside him, "I didn't notice that when we were on set. He seemed so shy, and he took things seriously."

"Wasn't he just an assistant director back then? It wasn't his creation. But..." Tom also replied earnestly, "It's true I didn't see him as someone who'd like horror themes."

He clearly looked mild-mannered.

This was the first time these two had learned what kind of genre James was shooting.

Naturally, they were somewhat surprised.

Especially considering how different this was from his performance during "Miscreant".

...

The movie continued.

"Drip."

"Ticking."

It was the sound of water droplets.

The scene shifted, and in the dimly lit screen, a pale face closed its eyes, submerged in water.

Suddenly, the sound of flowing water intensified.

Accompanied by coughing and retching, a man struggled to sit up, his hands fumbling aimlessly. In a panic, he shouted in a broken voice, "Help, where am I... Is anyone there?"

The emptiness echoed with no response, leaving Jason increasingly panicked and disoriented, his eyes filled with fear.

Hunched over, he took deep breaths, just as he was about to exert force with his right leg, the sound of chains scraping against the floor reached his ears.

"Where is this? Is anyone here? Help me."

The man's spirit was on the brink of collapse.

"Hey, are you trapped here too?" Suddenly, a clear voice came from the opposite side.

The man clung to this straw, in the pitch-black darkness, constantly seeking help.

But alas, that person said their ankle was shackled as well.

Now, the sense of despair was all the more intense.

"Who are you, and how did you end up here?" the person continued to ask.

"I'm Adam, I don't know why I ended up in this damned place."

"Hello, Adam, I'm Lawrence Gordon. I'm a doctor. I remember being at home when the power suddenly went out. I went outside to the front door to fix the circuit breaker, and then... I ended up here out of nowhere. Do you remember what happened before this?"

Adam was just about to say something when the overhead incandescent light suddenly started flashing, flickering continuously, casting alternating light and darkness around.

Finally, the light stabilized.

By this time, the camera had slowly zoomed in along with the light, capturing the last panoramic view of the indoor space.

In the slightly dilapidated bathroom, with white porcelain tiles on the floor and a ceiling that showed signs of decay, the rust-stained and moss-covered water pipe was attached to a man's ankle by a shackle, firmly secured to the pipe. This man was Lawrence, the one who had been speaking earlier.

The cobwebs in the corner seemed to confirm the desolation and ruin of this scene.

In the panoramic shot, the audience could clearly see the surroundings.

Hugo looked diagonally across.

Jason was locked awkwardly at the side of the toilet, the water stains on his shirt and the beads of sweat on his forehead were the results of his recent struggle.

Despite the light flooding in, vigilance remained in their eyes.

Between the two of them, as the camera pushed forward again and blurred.

In a pool of dark red blood, one could faintly discern a bald man in a leather jacket lying there, one hand gripping a revolver, the other clutching a tape recorder.

He appeared to have been dead for a while, his blood turned black and congealed.

The intense smell of blood seeped through the screen.

Some of the audience had already begun to feel uneasy.

But most of them were curious, increasingly absorbed in the scene.

Indeed, for those who enjoyed cult films, they were not used to films lacking explicit bloody scenes.

They might still be wondering when a close-up shot of a wound on the corpse would appear.

Unfortunately, this movie was never going to be a gratuitously gory and boring work.

In the film, the two main characters reacted very differently to the dead body.

Jason turned his head away, retching once again; Hugo dragged his shackle, his face heavy as he approached, wanting to see clearly.

After analyzing the cause of death for a bit, the two began discussing how they ended up here and how to get out.

Amid their mutual probing, the atmosphere of suspense mixed with the strong visual style, a doctor and a frequent deceiver, engaged in a dialogue that led the audience into the plot.

"Really interesting."

"So thrilling."

Especially for those who loved such genres, they were pondering how the story would unfold. Who was behind all this? Who killed the deceased? How would the two of them escape?

This movie, tailored to their tastes, made it impossible for them to miss any shot.