Nature Trail to Hell

Stefan Lawrence & Jordan White

Stefan Lawrence, a theme park designer from Los Angeles, hasn’t seen a lot of horror movies. Jordan D. White, a comic book editor from New York, has seen them all. Together, they’ll run through iconic horror franchises and review the movies one at a time. read less

TV & FilmTV & Film

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It's all led up to this – the most well-reviewed Saw movie in franchise history. Jigsaw is front and center (no more copycats!) in this back-to-basics trap-a-thon...that's also a suprisingly heartfelt love letter to John Kramer? What is even happening? And where do these movies go from here? Jordan and Stefan wrap up the series in grand style and discuss what's it's all meant. Plus – rankings, rankings, rankings!

Episodes

It's all led up to this – the most well-reviewed Saw movie in franchise history. Jigsaw is front and center (no more copycats!) in this back-to-basics trap-a-thon...that's also a suprisingly heartfelt love letter to John Kramer? What is even happening? And where do these movies go from here? Jordan and Stefan wrap up the series in grand style and discuss what's it's all meant. Plus – rankings, rankings, rankings!

Spiral: From the Book of Saw

Spiral: From the Book of Saw

The one with Chris Rock and Samuel Jackson! Jordan and Stefan watch this departure from the usual Sawfare, in which there is 100% less Jigsaw and 100% more police procedural. We might also get some dialogue that seems airlifted in from Chris Rock's standup routines, but you never know.

Jigsaw is back! Or is he???? 7 years after the last movie, Jordan and Stefan pick up the story with this much glossier take on Saw. Apparently there are trap murders happening again, and nobody can figure it out because a)Jigsaw is dead and b)we have a whole new cast of police that aren't very good at solving mysteries. But is it any good? Let's find out.

Saw 3D (aka Saw: The Final Chapter)

Saw 3D (aka Saw: The Final Chapter)

Finally, we've reached the end of the road, the final chapter, the – wait, aren't there 3 more movies after this? Jordan and Stefan watch Saw 3D (or possible Saw: The Final Chapter) and reflect on the long, twisty, flashback- and trap-filled journey to get here. What does it all mean? Have we been rehabilitated yet? Let's find out.

All roads lead here – to the one that's about health insurance. Suppose it was inevitable that the series that starts with incurable cancer will have to grapple with the intricacies and absurdities of the American healthcare system.

Jigsaw's still dead, right? Nevermind that, let's get to what the people want – a showdown between Hoffman and Strahm! Jordan and Stefan continue down the weird plotty path of the Saw-ga with this fifth installment.

The Saw train keeps on chugging, even if Jigsaw is dead (????). But you can't keep a good trap down – Stefan & Jordan "enjoy" this fourth helping of "therapy" at the hands of John Kramer despite his apparent demise.

We're well and truly on our way into the Saw-ga now! This third installment involves traps, traps, and some first solid indications that the franchise is going to obsessed with its own complicated plot. Also: Stefan has a crisis of fear and Jordan talks him through it.

With the original Saw a runaway success, Saw II was immediately greenlit and put into theaters a year later. Jordan and Stefan watch as Saw attempts to make the leap from scrappy indie hit to new horror franchise. Also, there's a new kid on the block.

Jordan and Stefan kick off a brand-new season of Nature Trail to Hell with 2004's iconic Saw. Stefan has been dreading this series for years – will he hack off his own foot to get out of watching this one or will his fears prove unfounded? Let's find out.

BONUS: The Belko Experiment

BONUS: The Belko Experiment

For our final episode of this season, we visit 2016's "The Belko Experiment," written and produced by James Gunn. We follow a group of office workers who are having...shall we say...a rough go of it. This movie is one of Jordan's favorites and Stefan hasn't even HEARD of it. Let's finish out strong.

BONUS: Battle Royale

BONUS: Battle Royale

We're not done with free-for-all killing sprees yet! Jordan and Stefan watch the Japanese cult classic Battle Royale, where an island full of kids killing each other is somehow supposed to cure society's ills. Does it make any more sense than the Purge as a social experiment? Let's find out.

BONUS: Funny Games

BONUS: Funny Games

Jordan and Stefan watch 1997's Funny Games, the harrowing home invasion film from Austrian director Michael Haneke, with widely varying results. What will Jordan think upon rewatching this gem? Will Stefan ever forgive Jordan?

The Forever Purge

The Forever Purge

Purging? Forever? What does that even mean? All crime is always legal? What even is crime anymore? Jordan and Stefan watch the oh-so-subtle "Forever Purge" from 2021 and debate the future of the franchise.

The First Purge

The First Purge

Oh boy, let's find out how the Purge began! In this episode, Jordan and Stefan watch "The First Purge," which apparently was an indignity forced upon Staten Island. Hasn't Staten Island suffered enough?

The Purge: Election Year

The Purge: Election Year

The Purge series goes political! I mean, more political than usual. Jordan D. White and Stefan Lawrence watch the 3rd installment of the Purge Series, released in July of 2016 with the slogan "Keep America Great." Yes, the last movie improved on the first one. Will this movie continue the trend?

The Purge: Anarchy

The Purge: Anarchy

Now this is Purging! Jordan and Stefan watch the second film in the series, The Purge: Anarchy, from 2014. No more being stuck inside a house! This time we get down and dirty ON THE STREETS. Stay safe.

It's time for a whole new season of the increasingly inaccurately named Nature Trail to Hell, in which we explore The Purge series! What happens when ALL CRIME IS LEGAL one night a year? Jordan D. White knows and Stefan Lawrence is about to find out. In this episode, we check out the very first Purge movie from the innocent beforetimes of 2013.

Jordan and Stefan watch Ti West's 2022 film, X, which owes quite a bit to the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre from 1974. Instead of an old Leatherface stomping around Texas like we saw in 2022, we now just have...old people. But don't worry, old people can do the murder just as good as the youngs.

BONUS: House of 1000 Corpses

BONUS: House of 1000 Corpses

Rounding out our Texas Chainsaw Massacre series, Stefan and Jordan will be watching two films inspired by them. The first is Rob Zombie's lurid technicolor nightmare, House of 1000 Corpses. Maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to spot Mr. Zombie's inspirations buried deep in the subtext of the film.