A Terrifying New Escape Room Plunges You Into the Dark World of Saw

If you watched Saw – the nightmarish 2004 horror-mystery flick about two men who wake up in a run-down, dingy bathroom and are forced to make some gruesome choices to get out – and you felt squeamish, Hacksaw might not be the escape room for you.

“Saw is kind of the original escape room, and we really wanted to pay tribute to that,” says Jenny Farelli, who designed the room.

The room, which opened in January at Rush Escape Game in Hawthorn, draws inspiration from the first Saw film, but it's not officially affiliated with the three-part movie franchise. Everything takes place in a replica bathroom complete with toilets, sinks, mirrors, a shower, a bathtub and an actual, functioning saw.

It’s not for everyone (Farelli mentions it’s popular with couples, describing it as “a great bonding experience”) and it comes with a health warning. Farelli says that the warning is in place for those with pacemakers, but this doesn’t rule anyone out from participating.

“We do have a pretty cool puzzle that utilises the human body as an electrical conductor and so – I don’t want to spoil it too much – for those who have pacemakers, we recommend that they call us first.”

Hacksaw is the only game at Rush’s new Hawthorn location – its original South Yarra spot has six escape rooms on the go. It’s best suited to four players, as there are four starting points. “Everyone has their own little puzzle to solve in the beginning,” Farelli says. “It’s pretty true to the Saw movie as well, having their own little key to find.”

If Hacksaw sounds a little too intense for you, the South Yarra venue has some less gory options, including rooms inspired by Jumanji, The Matrix and the James Bond films.

Rush Escape Game: Hawthorn
606 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn
03 9972 8021

Hours:
Mon to Sun 10am–11pm

rushescapegame.com.au/hacksaw

This article was updated on February 12 to clarify that Rush has no official affiliation with the Saw film franchise.